Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The act of restraining or the condition of being restrained.
- n. Loss or abridgment of freedom.
- n. An influence that inhibits or restrains; a limitation.
- n. An instrument or a means of restraining.
- n. Control or repression of feelings; constraint.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The act of restraining, or of holding back or hindering from action or motion, in any manner; hindrance of any action, physical, moral, or mental.
- n. The state of being repressed, curbed, or held back in any way; specifically, abridgment of liberty; confinement; detention.
- n. Repression of extravagance, exaggeration, or vehemence; constraint in manner or style; reserve.
- n. That which restrains, limits, hinders, or represses; a limitation, restriction, or prohibition.
- n. Restriction; limitation, as in application or definition.
- n. In dynamics, an absolute geometrical condition supposed to be precisely fulfilled: thus, a body moving upon an unyielding surface is subject to a restraint.
- n. Synonyms and Constraint, Coercion, etc. (see force, n), repression, check, stop, curb, hold-back.
Wiktionary
- n. countable something that restrains, ties, fastens or secures
- n. uncountable control or caution; reserve
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The act or process of restraining, or of holding back or hindering from motion or action, in any manner; hindrance of the will, or of any action, physical or mental.
- n. The state of being restrained.
- n. That which restrains, as a law, a prohibition, or the like; limitation; restriction.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a device that retards something's motion
- n. lack of ornamentation
- n. the act of controlling by restraining someone or something
- n. discipline in personal and social activities
- n. a rule or condition that limits freedom
- n. the state of being physically constrained
Etymologies
- Middle English restreinte, from Old French restrainte, from feminine past participle of restraindre, to restrain; see restrain. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“To make such outrageous claims with the only possible goal being to rile up the masses (a strategy attempted during the campaign as well), and then to advise "restraint" is beyond hypocritical.”
“He learns from them that "restraint" is advised by practically every author, but according to the character of the author he will find that "restraint" means having the marriage relation with his wife not more than three times a week, or once a month – or never at all except for the protection of children.”
“The Israelis are trying to show what they describe as restraint on the ground to test Arafat to see if, in fact, he can use his powers of persuasion, not only within the Palestinian movement that he is at the top of but through all of the other factions that he doesn't have necessary control over but can use his voice to speak to to bring what has not happened in so many months there -- a cease-fire, an end of violence between the Palestinians and the Israelis.”
“However, their best restraint is NOT government, but other selfish, monopolistic competitors.”
“His restraint is deliberate and masterful: this is not the explosion of colour or characters that defined Spirited Away or Ponyo.”
MIND MELD: Anime Film Favorites (+ The Top 14 Anime Films of All Time!)
“Obama's dramatic cowardice on health care tells me a lot about his intentions. signing statement restraint is just one more piece of ballast he's jettisoning off the hope boat. still, I'd choose him over McCain't.”
“All the female responses showed restraint from the name calling and kept their sights squarely on the issue we are discussing.”
Why I Hate the Booth Babe Story, a Guest Editorial by Holly A.
“In a talk with reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley said Palestinian restraint is appreciated.”
Voice of America: Mitchell Heads Back to Middle East to Deal With Settlements 'Dilemma'
“Lest someone say that the government doesn't forbid it, which is true, I'd point out that the government does forbid collusion in restraint of trade, which is what universities do.”
What Do You Want to Be Free to Choose?, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty
“In any case, it's no surprise that libertarians don't take a standard against government failing to enforce laws (e.g. against "collusion in restraint of trade") which they oppose in the first place.”
What Do You Want to Be Free to Choose?, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘restraint’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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1100
abound, technology, branch of knowled..., prognosticate, automaton, matron, an older married ..., realm, special field of ..., kingdom, annals, historical records and 981 more...
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EN - academic vocabulary
Use these and get promoted
abandon, abandonment, abnormally, abstract, abstraction, abstractly, abstracts, academia, academic, academically, academics, academies and 3119 more...
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AFET - diplomacy
broker a peace ac..., client state, deadlocked peace ..., embassy, freeze, goodwill ambassador, hinterland, interfere in dome..., intervene personally, maintain technica..., mediation, no business as usual and 670 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11250 more...
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EU Buzz - single words (1+2+3)
1. Strictly EU terms with special European meaning used only in the EU
+
2. Keywords central to the understanding of the EU (people working for the EU are usually able to give thematic...acceleration, action, additionality, administrator, agenda, agricultural, agri-environmental, agriflation, agri-food, applicant, approach, assent and 1325 more...
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If it ain't broke
paint, quaint, maintop, saint, faint, dainty, ain't, unacquainted, the rain in Spain..., ruzuzutainment, 1 Mountain Artill..., Ukraine and 81 more...
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Mihoz list
mounting, lawlessness, abduct, captive, vow, solemn, plaintive, uphold, grievance, retaliation, vigilance, clan and 14 more...
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SAT Vocab
Redundant.
problematic, proclivity, prodigal, prodigious, prodigy, profane, profligate, profound, profusion, proliferation, prolific, prologue and 455 more...
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Prosie: Obama's Inaugural Address
In keeping with my other Prosies (like this one). There were a number of phrases as well as words in this speech that I found particularly compelling.
My fellow citizens: I stand here ...we did not turn b..., when we were tested, what storms may come, icy currents, virtue, hope, alarmed, depth of winter, revolution, snow, enemy, abandoned and 257 more...
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my dictionary
able, abnormally, abroad, absent, abstract, acceptable, acceptance, access, accessible, accession, according to, account and 4551 more...
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Learned words
Words which are highly likely to be found in the work of learned writers.
ailurophile, labyrinthine, lagniappe, colleague, anechoic, reglets, fluctuations, scalar, implicit, constitute, mortification, ambassadors and 629 more...
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New words, not to be confused with th...
maladroit, aphasia, delphinium, bromide, greenhorn, just deserts, loth, supplanted, steeplechase, steeple, annex, vestments and 236 more...
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ash
ash
abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abide, abject, abjure and 4874 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, R
retinol, rectory, rhubarb, rancor, recension, rood, redivivus, roborate, redound, ripsnorting, ragtag, recruit and 250 more...
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miscellany
preposterous, minimalism, outnumbered, subroutine, malinger, oddity, eccentricity, laughable, oxymoronic, interstellar, winter, heedless and 335 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for restraint.
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