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Synonyms

constraint

American  
[kuhn-streynt] / kənˈstreɪnt /

noun

  1. limitation or restriction.

    Synonyms:
    pressure, obligation, force
  2. repression of natural feelings and impulses.

    to practice constraint.

  3. unnatural restraint in manner, conversation, etc.; embarrassment.

  4. something that constrains.

  5. the act of constraining.

  6. the condition of being constrained. constrain.

  7. Linguistics. a restriction on the operation of a linguistic rule or the occurrence of a linguistic construction.


constraint British  
/ kənˈstreɪnt /

noun

  1. compulsion, force, or restraint

  2. repression or control of natural feelings or impulses

  3. a forced unnatural manner; inhibition

  4. something that serves to constrain; restrictive condition

    social constraints kept him silent

  5. linguistics any very general restriction on a sentence formation rule

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonconstraint noun

Etymology

Origin of constraint

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English constreinte, from Middle French, noun use of feminine past participle of constreindre “to constrain”; constrain

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 decision followed a string of reports showing a deteriorating inflation outlook and warnings from the RBA that the economy is starting to grind up against capacity constraints.

From The Wall Street Journal

Every era produces its own response, shaped by the opportunities and constraints of its time.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the commission, which oversees elections in the UK, said it did not think "capacity constraints are a legitimate reason for delaying long-planned elections".

From BBC

Supply constraints will be exacerbated by Micron’s transition to high-bandwidth memory 4, which will consume 33% more wafers than the current version of the product, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal

Read on for more excerpts of their conversation about the art of adaptation, navigating budget constraints at any scale and much more.

From Los Angeles Times