straitjacket

American  

[streyt-jak-it] / ˈstreɪtˌdʒæk ɪt /

Or straightjacket

noun

1. a garment made of strong material and designed to bind the arms, as of a violently disoriented person.

2. anything that severely confines, constricts, or hinders.

   Conventional attitudes can be a straitjacket, preventing original thinking.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put in or as in a straitjacket.

   Her ambition was straitjacketed by her family.

straitjacket British  

/ ˈstreɪtˌdʒækɪt /

noun

1. Also called: straightjacket.  a jacket made of strong canvas material with long sleeves for binding the arms of violent prisoners or mentally ill patients

2. a severe restriction or limitation

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verb

1. (tr) to confine in or as if in a straitjacket

Etymology

Origin of straitjacket

First recorded in 1805–15; strait + jacket

Explanation

A jacket-shaped restraint that's meant to confine a violent person safely is called a straitjacket. Straitjackets were once commonly used in psychiatric hospitals. These days you're much more likely to see a straitjacket used as a prop in magic show than in a hospital. Illusionists use straitjackets to perform escape tricks, since they're famously difficult (if not impossible) to wriggle out of. Straitjackets are made of sturdy material and hold the wearer's arms tightly against the body. Before the invention of modern psychiatric medicines and techniques, mentally ill patients were frequently restrained in straitjackets to protect themselves and others.

Example Sentences

For all its aspiration of freedom, it is a straitjacket that cannot be removed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The first three weeks saw an 8-year-old aerialist, a 74-year-old comedian, a laser-performing duo from Vietnam and a Las Vegas magician who hung from the ceiling in a straitjacket.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

And she suggested replacing the contentious Let's Create strategy, which she said was widely seen as a straitjacket, "stifling artistic innovation and creativity".

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025

It makes the whole project less overwhelming — more a compass than a straitjacket.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2025

I looked over at the next desk and saw a girl sitting there, also wearing a straitjacket.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• ban
• constraint
• curb
• embargo
• limit
• prohibition
• reduction
• restriction