restraint
Americannoun
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a restraining action or influence.
freedom from restraint.
-
Sometimes restraints. a means of or device for restraining, as a harness for the body.
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the act of restraining, holding back, controlling, or checking.
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the state or fact of being restrained; deprivation of liberty; confinement.
- Synonyms:
- incarceration, imprisonment, restriction, circumscription
- Antonyms:
- liberty
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constraint or reserve in feelings, behavior, etc.
noun
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the ability to control or moderate one's impulses, passions, etc
to show restraint
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the act of restraining or the state of being restrained
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something that restrains; restriction
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of restraint
1350–1400; Middle English restreinte < Middle French restrainte, noun use of feminine past participle of restraindre to restrain
Explanation
Restraint is the act of holding something back. For example, if you exercise restraint over your emotions, you won't burst out into tears in public. As you may have guessed from its similar spelling, the word restraint comes from the verb restrain, which in turn comes from the Latin word restringere, meaning "draw back tightly, confine, check." When talking about an object, a restraint is a device used to maintain control of something. For example, if your leg is operated on, the doctors will use a restraint to hold it still.
Vocabulary lists containing restraint
Theodore Roosevelt on "New Nationalism" (1910)
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Excerpts from "Jacobson v. Massachusetts"
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 4
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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.
He can choose not to compound an energy shock with monetary restraint that damages capital formation and productivity growth exactly when the economy needs both.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
The selloff in long-term Treasurys is itself an argument for restraint.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
"Many people are disturbed by the level of force shown during the restraint and are demanding full clarity regarding the circumstances that led to Mr Sakila becoming unresponsive."
From BBC • May 21, 2026
While Beene and Balenciaga received praise for their restraint and elegance, the lesser-known London-born designer Walter Holmes created controversy with his “mini-medievals” in 1968.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
They show a little more restraint than the people from 13 do, although it may just be from embarrassment.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
