This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
constrain
[ kuhn-streyn ]
/ kənˈstreɪn /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
verb (used with object)
to force, compel, or oblige: He was constrained to admit the offense.
to confine forcibly, as by bonds.
to repress or restrain: Cold weather constrained the plant's growth.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of constrain
OTHER WORDS FROM constrain
Words nearby constrain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use constrain in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for constrain
constrain
/ (kənˈstreɪn) /
verb (tr)
to compel or force, esp by persuasion, circumstances, etc; oblige
to restrain by or as if by force; confine
Derived forms of constrain
constrainer, nounWord Origin for constrain
C14: from Old French constreindre, from Latin constringere to bind together, from stringere to bind
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012