restricted
Americanadjective
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confined; limited.
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(of information, a document, etc.)
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bearing the classification restricted, usually the lowest level of classified information.
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limited to persons authorized to use information, documents, etc., so classified.
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limited to or admitting only members of a particular group or class.
a restricted neighborhood; a restricted hotel.
adjective
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limited or confined
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not accessible to the general public or ( esp US ) out of bounds to military personnel
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denoting or in a zone in which a speed limit or waiting restrictions for vehicles apply
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of restricted
Explanation
Have you ever seen a door labeled Restricted? If so, you probably know it means "Stay out." A restricted area can only be entered by certain people. Anything labeled restricted is not public. Restricted things are private, and only certain people who are authorized can access or use those things. Anything restricted is subject to more rules. In sports, a restricted free agent has to worry about more rules than an unrestricted free agent. Something or someone restricted has to deal with restrictions, which are rules or laws that set limits.
Vocabulary lists containing restricted
Nothing But the Truth
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 4
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 4
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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.
As of June 30, Agility had $14.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, as well as $7.1 million in restricted cash.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
Californians, he said, “ask merely that the evil already done to them shall be restricted to its present proportions.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas will stand trial next year over claims he entered a restricted zone at a migrant processing centre in Dover.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
However, broader access remained restricted to researchers, who had to gain permission from the state security archives until the latest reform.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Once again, my disability had restricted my choices, but then driven me to new ones that seemed so much better than anything else could have been.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
