verb
-
to compel or force, esp by persuasion, circumstances, etc; oblige
-
to restrain by or as if by force; confine
Other Word Forms
- constrainable adjective
- constrainer noun
- constrainingly adverb
- nonconstraining adjective
- unconstrainable adjective
- unconstraining adjective
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
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.
"With lower house prices relative to local earnings, buyers in Wales are less constrained than those in more expensive parts of England, which is supporting price growth."
From BBC
They became the military equivalent of luxury goods—their production constrained by rare materials, specialized labor, artisanal manufacturing, bespoke components, noncommercial supply chains and other limitations.
They are tightly constrained requests—limited to 500 words—that allow owners to place an issue before fellow shareholders for a vote.
If constrained from supporting parties, they will help other organizations, such as super PACs, advocacy groups and loosely affiliated movements.
From MarketWatch
“Gesture and duration are the ways that I could achieve scale rather than something that was materially constrained like a giant sculpture,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
