constrain
Americanverb (used with object)
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constrains,
present (3rd person singular)
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constrained,
past participle, past
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constraining
present participle
verb
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to compel or force, esp by persuasion, circumstances, etc; oblige
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to restrain by or as if by force; confine
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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constrainernoun
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constrainableadjective
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nonconstrainingadjective
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unconstrainableadjective
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unconstrainingadjective
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constraininglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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constrainsimple
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constrainssimple
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have constrainedperfect
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has constrainedperfect
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am constrainingprogressive
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are constrainingprogressive
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is constrainingprogressive
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have been constrainingperfect progressive
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has been constrainingperfect progressive
Past
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constrainedsimple
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had constrainedperfect
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was constrainingprogressive
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were constrainingprogressive
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had been constrainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of constrain
1275–1325; Middle English constrei ( g ) nen < Anglo-French, Middle French constrei ( g ) n- (stem of constreindre ) < Latin constringere. See con-, strain 1
Explanation
To constrain is to hold back, restrain, or confine. If you've ever had to constrain a toddler in the middle of a temper tantrum, you know you have to watch out for flailing limbs. The verb constrain comes from the Latin word constringere, which means to bind together or tie tightly. Constrain can imply both literal and figurative bindings. You can constrain someone by physically holding on to something like a person's shirt. Or, you can figuratively constrain someone by putting up obstacles. Your teenagers, for example, may feel constrained by your rules and accuse you of sucking the fun out of their social lives.
Vocabulary lists containing constrain
Just Mercy
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Excerpt from "The Declaration of Independence"
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This would constrain how fast their own property-tax bills grew.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
For the next two to three quarters, hawkish policy, a firm dollar and elevated U.S. real rates could constrain the metal’s upside.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
"This in turn might help scientists better constrain when the moon-forming event occurred."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
In response, tech executives are clearly realizing that city councils and state legislatures can do a lot to constrain them.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
The term ‘relativism’ is contentious, but I use it, rather than ‘constructivism’, because I want to refer to those who hold that reality does not constrain the beliefs we can hold about the real world.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
I think that constrains what you’re able to do.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
As a result, the idea that oxygen constrains insect size has not been completely ruled out.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2026
No law, domestic or international, constrains him, as far as the convicted felon is concerned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
Mr. Mitchell sees virtue in how diplomacy mitigates costs and constrains violence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
A striking example of Bloor’s inability to acknowledge that nature constrains science is to be found on p.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
This suggested that the two signals were constrained to evolve together.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Some in China see calls to slow progress as hard to justify, "particularly given their perception that US measures such as export controls have already constrained China's AI development for years," they said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Limited glass-preform capacity, raw-material bottlenecks and constrained ex-China capacity have created a supply deficit, pushing hyperscalers into multiyear agreements and opening opportunities for STL.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
But its resources spokesperson, Kelly Parry, said councils were being constrained by funding shortages and rising demand for services.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
There was another yelp, this one constrained and plaintive.
From "Sounder" by William H. Armstrong
This leads to people constraining their budgets early in retirement, and dying with even more money than they started with at the beginning of retirement.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
"Ever since the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake in Japan, we realized that the tsunami data had really valuable information for constraining shallow slip," said Melgar.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
As a result, bank balance sheets got clogged, constraining the financing prospects of future projects tied to Oracle and OpenAI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
“Put differently, physical shortages are constraining actual consumption, so what appears to be demand destruction is a supply loss showing up on the demand side of the ledger.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 24, 2026
In this sense, mathematics is just the opposite of constraining; it is empowering, and at the service of anyone who cares to use it.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
