constraint

noun

con·​straint kən-ˈstrānt 

1

a

: the act of constraining

b

: the state of being checked, restricted, or compelled to avoid or perform some action

… the constraint and monotony of a monastic life …

—Matthew Arnold

a life of invalidism and constraint

c

: a constraining condition, agency, or force : check

put legal constraints on the board's activities

Budget constraints have forced me to revise my travel plans.

2

a

: repression of one's own feelings, behavior, or actions

emotional constraint

b

: a sense of being constrained : embarrassment

" … a constraint between us as if we were strangers … "

—John P. Marquand

Synonyms

• continence
• discipline
• discretion
• inhibition
• refrainment
• repression
• reserve
• restraint
• self-command
• self-control
• self-restraint
• suppression

Examples of constraint in a Sentence

Lack of funding has been a major constraint on the building's design.

They demand freedom from constraint.

They refuse to work under constraint any longer.

Recent Examples on the Web

The issues extend beyond mere resource constraints: • Runaway Costs: Training and deploying advanced AI models can cost tens of millions of dollars per model, with operational expenses compounding as model usage scales. —Aparna Prabhakar, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

In the tech industry, however, productivity has no such constraints, especially at large companies. —Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024

Chunks of the Hollywood workforce gone, mostly those in postproduction who are staring down the barrel of potential automation due to labor protections and legal and technological constraints surrounding AI use that protect actors, writers and directors from but not other crew. —Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2024

Patel is well aware that many constraints on what the Bureau says and does are governed by institutional norms and internal policy—and can, in theory, be changed as needed. —Beverly Gage, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French constrainte, from constraindre — see constrain

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

constraint

noun

con·​straint kən-ˈstrānt 

1

: the act of constraining : the state of being constrained

2

: something that constrains : check

3

: a holding back of one's feelings, actions, or behavior