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.
The recent attacks in the Persian Gulf could further constrain supplies of industrial metals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
The First Amendment and decades of precedent constrain executive agencies.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
Presidents have a freer hand to craft policy on the global stage, with lawmakers and courts less empowered to constrain them.
From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026
"A prolonged disruption... would begin to erode inventories, constrain logistics and tighten global oil and gas balances, with much greater effects on prices."
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
Few rules constrain the exercise of prosecutorial discretion.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
