confined
Americanadjective
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limited or restricted.
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unable to leave a place because of illness, imprisonment, etc.
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being in childbirth; being in parturition.
adjective
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enclosed or restricted; limited
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in childbed; undergoing childbirth
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of confined
Explanation
The adjective confined describes a space that is cramped or small and constricted. You probably don't see any claustrophobic vampires because if they were claustrophobic, they'd have a fear of confined spaces — like their coffins. The adjective confined describes being in captivity or not free to move about. If you do charity work, you could read books to older people confined to their homes. You could move your confined arms better if you just took off a few layers of clothes; you really don't need three sweaters, a vest, and a coat in 40 degree weather — even if you are from Arizona.
Vocabulary lists containing confined
Our Town
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"Efrén Divided" by Ernesto Cisneros, Chapters 1–5
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CTE Construction ("Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills,") Vocabulary from Module One
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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.
The company behind ChatGPT said two of its artificial intelligence models broke out of what was supposed to be a confined offline space and connected to the internet during internal testing of their hacking capabilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Most humanoid robots are currently used for industrial applications in confined spaces, such as automobile factories or storage warehouses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
If tunnelling releases it into a confined space and it comes into contact with a spark or another ignition source, it can ignite or explode, a government official said.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Strelzik noted, however, that the outbreak at McDonald’s was confined to ingredients served in the chain’s Quarter Pounders, making them easier to remove.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
“If the passageways are that confined and narrow, how did the cabin boy ever drag the pirate’s treasure down to the chamber in the first place?”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
