constrained
Americanadjective
-
forced, compelled, or obliged.
a constrained confession.
-
stiff or unnatural; uneasy or embarrassed.
a constrained manner.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- constrainedly adverb
- unconstrained adjective
Etymology
Origin of constrained
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.
India's aviation market is poised for significant expansion but remains constrained by a limited number of widebody aircraft, Willie Walsh, the incoming chief executive of IndiGo, told the BBC.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
Some of his ideas will need to get refined and will be constrained financially at the city and state level.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
With shipping through Hormuz severely constrained, the country is rerouting crude exports via its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
As land values surged and horizontal growth became constrained, elevators and downtowns together climbed vertically from the steel-frame towers of the late 19th century to the glass supertalls that shape today’s skylines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
And so the conversation veered again, awkward and constrained for a while, but it skirted all reference to the troubles of the day.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
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.
