restricted
Americanadjective
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confined; limited.
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(of information, a document, etc.)
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bearing the classification restricted, usually the lowest level of classified information.
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limited to persons authorized to use information, documents, etc., so classified.
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limited to or admitting only members of a particular group or class.
a restricted neighborhood; a restricted hotel.
adjective
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limited or confined
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not accessible to the general public or ( esp US ) out of bounds to military personnel
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denoting or in a zone in which a speed limit or waiting restrictions for vehicles apply
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of restricted
Explanation
Have you ever seen a door labeled Restricted? If so, you probably know it means "Stay out." A restricted area can only be entered by certain people. Anything labeled restricted is not public. Restricted things are private, and only certain people who are authorized can access or use those things. Anything restricted is subject to more rules. In sports, a restricted free agent has to worry about more rules than an unrestricted free agent. Something or someone restricted has to deal with restrictions, which are rules or laws that set limits.
Vocabulary lists containing restricted
Nothing But the Truth
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 4
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 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.
Private lenders say concern is overdone, overblown by the publicity around the funds that restricted withdrawals and too much exposure to loans to software companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
But he and others believe it’s no longer a matter of if — but when and how — the drugs are restricted, including in California.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
Kennedy halted the FDA-backed proposal that would have restricted sunlamp products to users 18 and older and required warning acknowledgments about cancer risks.
From Salon • May 9, 2026
During the past two decades, SpaceX has hired thousands of staff and granted them boatloads of restricted stock units, incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options that have vested over time.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
He never said much in any case and what he did say was always restricted to the simplest, since he spoke no Lapine.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
