restriction

American  

[ri-strik-shuhn] / rɪˈstrɪk ʃən /

noun

restrictions plural

1. something that restricts; a restrictive condition or regulation; limitation.

   Synonyms:

   restraint, reservation, provision, rule

2. the act of restricting.

3. the state of being restricted.

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restriction British  

/ rɪˈstrɪkʃən /

noun

1. something that restricts; a restrictive measure, law, etc

2. the act of restricting or the state of being restricted

3. logic maths a condition that imposes a constraint on the possible values of a variable or on the domain of arguments of a function

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrestriction
  noun
• overrestriction
  noun
• prerestriction
  noun
• restrictionist
  noun
• self-restriction
  noun
• superrestriction
  noun
• prorestriction
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• restrictions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of restriction

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin restrictiōn-, stem of restrictiō; equivalent to restrict + -ion

Explanation

A restriction is a limitation or a restraint, like when a size restriction keeps you from jumping on a toddler trampoline and bouncing the smaller kids a mile up in the air. Usually a restriction is in place because a limit needs to be set. Common sense would keep you from putting a bowling ball in a paper bag; you wouldn’t need a restriction to tell you not to do it. Sometimes a restriction is the result of doing something bad or misusing a privilege, as when your parents put a restriction on video gaming to limit your time in front of the TV.

Example Sentences

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: intermittent fasting, continuous calorie restriction, or standard care.

From Science Daily • Jul. 8, 2026

It is the first time the company has introduced a temporary use restriction in consecutive years, following on from last year's ban from mid-July until the end of October.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026

Once he confirmed Hincapié’s action, the referee issued a red card and the Ecuador player became the second player this World Cup for violating FIFA’s restriction against players covering their mouths during heated exchanges.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

Anthropic will soon begin restoring access globally to its most powerful AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, after the US government lifted a restriction on where they could be released, the company said Tuesday.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

When Howard University refused to accept any such restriction, the Superintendent of Schools promptly withdrew the offer.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• check
• condition
• constraint
• control
• curb
• limit
• regulation
• restraint
• rule
• stipulation
• stricture