restriction

American  

[ri-strik-shuhn] / rɪˈstrɪk ʃən /

noun

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. 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

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

Etymology

Origin of restriction

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

Example Sentences

So why should the court now impose a restriction that does not appear anywhere in the Constitution?

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

One of the Commodity Exchange Act’s listed restrictions on event contracts is a restriction on those that involve “gaming.”

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

Those games are only meant to be offered in Indian casinos, but card clubs had long used designated outside dealers to get around the restriction.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

It is not clear whether Roblox would be affected by any UK social media ban as the government has not set out which platforms would be in scope for such a restriction.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The government retaliated by banning all gatherings relating to my imprisonment, but this restriction was ignored by the liberation movement.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

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