constrained
Americanadjective
-
forced, compelled, or obliged.
a constrained confession.
-
stiff or unnatural; uneasy or embarrassed.
a constrained manner.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of constrained
Explanation
Something that's constrained is forced, unnatural and not very spontaneous — kind of like a linebacker trying to perform the ballet Swan Lake. Constrained contains the word strained for a reason. Mostly because anyone that's constrained is feeling a fair amount of strain because of it. In addition to referring to unnatural or uncharacteristic behavior, being constrained can also mean being held back or forced to do something you don't want to do. If your budget has taken a hit, for example, you may feel constrained financially. If you are on a diet, you may feel constrained by the Weight Watchers point system.
Vocabulary lists containing constrained
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Ash
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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.
It opens by noting that for companies whose “access to the most advanced lithography is constrained, the constraint became binding earlier and bears down more severely.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Huang said Tuesday that Nvidia is "supply constrained" although "we have enough supply for very robust growth", referring to the gamut of materials used to make computer chips, from silicon wafers to advanced memory components.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Because the process occurs entirely within the plane of the material, it also avoids several efficiency limitations that have constrained earlier detector designs.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
"One thing that hasn't helped is we are quite a constrained town," he says.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
That outcome also demonstrates that Native Americans were not constrained by cultural conservativism and were quite able to appreciate a good plant when they saw it.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
