restriction
Americannoun
-
something that restricts; a restrictive condition or regulation; limitation.
- Synonyms:
- restraint, reservation, provision, rule
-
the act of restricting.
-
the state of being restricted.
noun
-
something that restricts; a restrictive measure, law, etc
-
the act of restricting or the state of being restricted
-
logic maths a condition that imposes a constraint on the possible values of a variable or on the domain of arguments of a function
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing restriction
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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Central America and the Caribbean - Introductory
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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 White House denied there was ever a restriction or ban on U.S. aircraft.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
While restrained eating can support weight loss when balanced, extreme restriction can sometimes contribute to unhealthy eating behaviors.
From Science Daily • May 7, 2026
Dresser also criticized Anthropic’s strategy for being built on “fear, restriction, and the idea that a small group of elites should control AI.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
"The Strait must be open -- fully, unconditionally and without restriction."
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
This nondecreasing property of the event horizon’s area placed an important restriction on the possible behavior of black holes.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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.
