What does constrain mean?

Definitions for constrain
kənˈstreɪncon·strain

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word constrain.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. restrain, encumber, cumber, constrainverb

    hold back

  2. stiffen, tighten, tighten up, constrainverb

    restrict

    "Tighten the rules"; "stiffen the regulations"

Wiktionary

  1. constrainverb

    to force physically, by strong persuasion or pressurizing; to compel; to oblige

  2. constrainverb

    to keep within close bounds; to confine

  3. constrainverb

    to reduce a result in response to limited resources

  4. Etymology: constraindre, ultimately from constringō. Compare contraindre.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. To CONSTRAINverb

    Etymology: constraindre, Fr. constringo, Latin.

    Thy sight, which should
    Make our eyes flow with joy,
    Constrains them weep. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

    My sire in caves constrains the winds,
    Can with a breath their clam’rous rage appease;
    They fear his whistle, and forsake the seas. Dryden.

    The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
    Does pity as constrained blemishes,
    Nothing deserv’d. William Shakespeare, Anthony and Cleopatra.

    When to his lust Ægysthus gave the rein,
    Did fate or we th’ adult’rous act constrain? Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

    Her spotless chastity,
    Inhuman traitors, you constrain’d and forc’d. William Shakespeare, Tit. And.

    How the strait stays the slender waste constrain? John Gay.

ChatGPT

  1. constrain

    To constrain is to restrict or limit someone or something, preventing them from moving freely, acting independently, or developing naturally. It often involves imposing control, rules, or boundaries. It can also refer to compel or force someone towards a particular course of action.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Constrainverb

    to secure by bonds; to chain; to bond or confine; to hold tightly; to constringe

  2. Constrainverb

    to bring into a narrow compass; to compress

  3. Constrainverb

    to hold back by force; to restrain; to repress

  4. Constrainverb

    to compel; to force; to necessitate; to oblige

  5. Constrainverb

    to violate; to ravish

  6. Constrainverb

    to produce in such a manner as to give an unnatural effect; as, a constrained voice

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Constrain

    kon-strān′, v.t. to urge with irresistible power: to force, compel: to distress: to confine: to limit: to cause constraint.—adj. Constrain′able.—p.adj. Constrained′, forced, compelled: embarrassed.—adv. Constrain′edly.—n. Constraint′, irresistible force: compulsion: confinement: repression of one's feelings: embarrassment. [O. Fr. constraindre—L. constringĕrecon, together, stringĕre, to press. See Strain.]

Anagrams for constrain »

  1. consarn it

  2. introscan

  3. non-racist

  4. nonracist

  5. transonic

How to pronounce constrain?

How to say constrain in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of constrain in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of constrain in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of constrain in a Sentence

  1. Vladimir Put:

    Sanctions are sanctions, as far as sanctions are concerned .... (they're) about the need to constrain our development.

  2. Ankit Panda:

    A robust Saudi missile program would introduce new challenges to constraining other missile programs in the region. To take just one example, Iran's missiles, which are a major concern to the U.S., would be more difficult to constrain in the future without parallel constraints on a growing Saudi program.

  3. Deana Wang:

    America is great because of two reasons; this country nurtures innovative minds that drive progress on a global scale, and American people who seek to embrace constructive criticism, critical Race Theory is creating the indoctrination environment that will constrain children's creative sense of self and consequently limit their analytical productivity as adults.

  4. Ronald Man:

    The economic outlook for South Korea remains challenging. Household consumption growth has not recovered, while weak global demand is forecast to constrain trade.

  5. Marc Ambinder:

    If the norms and interests of the deep state, however you want to define them, are seen as being threatened by some powerful actor — in this case, the president himself, it is both accurate and kind of scary to notice that people can use secrets to try and stop him. If you oppose Trump, you might be willing to forgive these transgressions because a greater good is served. You might. Or you might wonder what will happen if the U.S. elects a president whom you might support, but who wants to, say, cut off an important mechanism for obtaining secrets used by the NSA or constrain the military’s ability to bomb targets overseas, in the case of Trump, a lot of the leaks seem to be coming from within his own circle. Some obviously come from secret-keepers who are genuinely worried about his mental capacity. Others — who knows? There is no organized conspiracy, but the threshold for disclosing information to people seems to be a lot lower.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

constrain#10000#31363#100000

Translations for constrain

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for constrain »

Translation

Find a translation for the constrain definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"constrain." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/constrain>.

Discuss these constrain definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for constrain? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    (of especially persons) lacking sense or understanding or judgment
    A ravening
    B ultimo
    C indiscernible
    D soft-witted

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for constrain: