constraint
constraint Lexical Profile
constraint Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A limitation or restriction that controls or bounds what can be done.
"The engineering team had to redesign the bridge due to strict budget and time constraints."
Stiffness of manner and inhibition in relations between people, or the state of being checked and restricted from natural action.
"After their earlier argument, they spoke to each other with noticeable constraint throughout the dinner."
The use of force or pressure to compel someone to act against their will.
"The witness testified that he had signed the financial agreement under severe constraint."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Constraint" is often compared with "restraint"; while a restraint usually implies holding back an active impulse or physical movement, a constraint refers more broadly to a structural, financial, or situational boundary that limits what is possible.
• Rhymes for constraint
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into Middle English from Old French 'contrainte', the feminine past participle of 'contraindre', which comes from Latin 'constringere' ('to bind together tightly'), formed from 'com-' ('together') and 'stringere' ('to draw tight').