confine
Americanverb (used with object)
-
confines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
confined,
past participle, past
-
confining
present participle
-
to enclose within bounds; limit or restrict.
She confined her remarks to errors in the report. Confine your efforts to finishing the book.
- Synonyms:
- circumscribe
- Antonyms:
- free
-
to shut or keep in; prevent from leaving a place because of imprisonment, illness, discipline, etc..
For that offense he was confined to quarters for 30 days.
- Antonyms:
- free
noun
-
Usually confines. a boundary or bound; limit; border; frontier.
-
Often confines. region; territory.
-
Archaic. confinement.
-
Obsolete. a place of confinement; prison.
verb
-
to keep or close within bounds; limit; restrict
-
to keep shut in; restrict the free movement of
arthritis confined him to bed
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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confinernoun
-
preconfineverb (used with object)
-
reconfineverb (used with object)
-
confinableadjective
-
confineableadjective
-
confinelessadjective
-
nonconfiningadjective
-
quasi-confiningadjective
-
self-confiningadjective
-
unconfinableadjective
-
unconfiningadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
confinesimple
-
confinessimple
-
have confinedperfect
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has confinedperfect
-
am confiningprogressive
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are confiningprogressive
-
is confiningprogressive
-
have been confiningperfect progressive
-
has been confiningperfect progressive
Past
-
confinedsimple
-
had confinedperfect
-
was confiningprogressive
-
were confiningprogressive
-
had been confiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of confine
1350–1400 for noun; 1515–25 for v.; (noun) Middle English < Middle French confins, confines < Medieval Latin confinia, plural of Latin confinis boundary, border ( see con-, fine 2); (v.) < Middle French confiner, verbal derivative of confins < Latin, as above
Explanation
Confine is all about setting limits. If you are confined to the house, it means you can't leave it. If you're really sick, you might be confined to your bed. Confine can be used abstractly as well. In writing a term paper, your teacher might tell you to confine your examples to ones that you can support with direct evidence. In the 19th century, pregnancy and childbirth were often referred to as a woman's confinement—a time when she couldn't get up or out.
Vocabulary lists containing confine
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Bridge to Terabithia
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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.
See Examples For:
These devices rely on powerful magnetic fields to confine a plasma: an electrically charged gas often called the fourth state of matter.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
The only way to maintain a precise technical meaning for this term would be to confine its use to a largely relevant group of insiders.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Poor Mr. Biswas, a man of meager prospects but irrepressible pride, must suffer through a series of demeaning dwellings to which his in-laws, the emasculating Tulsis, confine him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
The Dodgers have said closer Edwin Díaz is expected to return from elbow surgery sometime after the All-Star break, which would confine that time frame to two weeks, if that.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
If I had to guess, I would say they are mixing simulation serum, but I hesitate to confine Erudite’s work to simulations alone.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
Even with “Digger,” Cruise’s most ambitious project in years, he confines himself to a loud, obnoxious character destined to be written about as a “big swing.”
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
I’m not advocating for speeding, but you’re not bound by the confines of traffic, where you have a stoplight at every block.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
Inside the confines of Manchester City's sophisticated data operation is a fundamental phrase its experts work towards: "What does it take to win?"
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Last week, he was transferred while awaiting trial to Bolivia’s maximum-security Chonchocoro prison, infamous for its high-altitude, ill-heated confines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
They, in turn, seemed attached to him and followed him about within the confines of their pen.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
To investigate this possibility, the researchers studied ultracold cesium atoms confined to a one-dimensional system.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Earlier this month, Barclays analysts were warning that elevated diesel prices “are unlikely to remain confined to the energy line-items of U.S. inflation.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Despite that, her husband remains confined at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Which means these attitudes are not just confined to dedicated craft-snarking spaces.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
The damage is light, mostly confined to the U-boat pens and refineries, but two errant bombs land in St. Pauli, a neighborhood known for its theaters and cafés and concert halls.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
What were the aspects of her caregiving that provided a sense of meaningful connection, and what were the parts she found confining?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Only one of the suspects was issued a citation for unlawfully capturing and confining wildlife, the news release said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Materials with higher refractive indices are better at confining and directing light within devices.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 21, 2026
He was impeached on 14 December, and on 3 January – after confining himself inside the presidential residence for two-and-a-half weeks – arrested.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2026
He was working sixteen-hour shifts at the hospital, confining his blogging mainly to the hours between midnight and three in the morning.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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