Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to restriction.
  • adjective Tending or serving to restrict; limiting.
  • adjective Grammar Of, relating to, or being a subordinate clause or phrase that identifies the noun, phrase, or clause it modifies and limits or restricts its meaning, as the clause who live in glass houses in People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Serving to bind or draw together; astringent; styptic.
  • Having the property of limiting or of expressing limitation: as, a restrictive particle or clause.
  • Imposing restrictions; operating through restrictions.
  • Expressing a restriction, or involving a restriction, in the logical sense.
  • Also restringent.
  • noun A styptic or astringent.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Serving or tending to restrict; limiting
  • adjective obsolete Astringent or styptic in effect.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Confining, limiting, containing with in defined bounds.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (of tariff) protective of national interests by restricting imports
  • adjective serving to restrict

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The memorandum presented to Manuel said the government's strict aderence to what it described as restrictive fiscal policy was crippling the reconstruction and development programme, and weakening transformation goals.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1999

  • "For the EU it's time to consider what we call restrictive measures ... to ensure we put as much pressure as possible to try and stop the violence in Libya and see the country move forward," she told reporters.

    The Guardian World News Adam Gabbatt 2011

  • In fact they would be arguably consistent if they supported such position and opposed certain restrictive defamation laws that had the effect of trampling what they no doubt believe to be the universal human right of free expression.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Judge Baltazar Garzón Indicted 2010

  • Christopher French, a lean, little transplanted Englishman, a nimble world traveler before he found the lake, was never a big believer in restrictive signs.

    Santa Maria del Oro: near enough to perfect 2007

  • Christopher French, a lean, little transplanted Englishman, a nimble world traveler before he found the lake, was never a big believer in restrictive signs.

    Santa Maria del Oro: near enough to perfect 2007

  • However, unlike the Cathay of old, this newer Cathay — Cathay redux — existed within restrictive boundaries.

    The Romance of China: Excursions to China in U.S. Culture: 1776-1876 2005

  • Ryan was about to sign up for PeerImpact, a P2P service that distributes authorized, royalty-paid music, when he discovered that the company wraps all its media in restrictive DRM.

    Boing Boing: June 19, 2005 - June 25, 2005 Archives 2005

  • (See Soros Article) Some did receive re-registration, but with certain restrictive terms, details of which I am not aware.

    Shoveling Shit 2004

  • (See Soros Article) Some did receive re-registration, but with certain restrictive terms, details of which I am not aware.

    Wanderlustress: 2004

  • Constitution, which leaves God out of the Preamble and mentions religion only in restrictive references, e.g., no establishment of religion, no religious test for public office.

    Archive 2003-08-01 David 2003

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