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.
But when market sentiment shifts or volatility rises, investors may find that liquidity is more constrained than expected.
From MarketWatch
"These days Hong Kong is their best hope to attract global investors and position themselves as a player not fully constrained by the boundary of the mainland market," she adds.
From BBC
If supply remains constrained, food prices are likely to rise around the world, adding to inflationary pressures that have knock-on effects outside of the agricultural industry.
From Barron's
Reeves has said any package would be constrained by the government's borrowing rules and its wish to keep inflation and interest rates as low as possible.
From BBC
That is, Berkshire’s fortress balance sheet and its durable earnings make it more valuable in times of stress or chaos, since it can deploy capital when others are constrained.
From Barron's
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.
