confine

1 of 2

noun

con·​fine ˈkän-ˌfīn 

also

kən-ˈfīn 

1

confines plural

a

: something (such as borders or walls) that encloses

outside the confines of the office or hospital

—W. A. Nolen

also : something that restrains

escape from the confines of soot and clutter

—E. S. Muskie

b

: scope sense 3

work within the confines of a small group

—Frank Newman

2

a

archaic : restriction

b

obsolete : prison

confine

2 of 2

verb

con·​fine kən-ˈfīn 

confined; confining

intransitive verb

archaic : border

transitive verb

1

a

: to hold within a location

Dikes confined the floodwaters.

b

: imprison

2

: to keep within limits

will confine my remarks to one subject

confiner noun

Synonyms

Noun

• bound
• boundary
• cap
• ceiling
• end
• extent
• limit
• limitation
• line
• termination

Verb

• cap
• circumscribe
• hold down
• limit
• restrict

Choose the Right Synonym for confine

limit, restrict, circumscribe, confine mean to set bounds for.

limit implies setting a point or line (as in time, space, speed, or degree) beyond which something cannot or is not permitted to go.

visits are limited to 30 minutes

restrict suggests a narrowing or tightening or restraining within or as if within an encircling boundary.

laws intended to restrict the freedom of the press

circumscribe stresses a restriction on all sides and by clearly defined boundaries.

the work of the investigating committee was carefully circumscribed

confine suggests severe restraint and a resulting cramping, fettering, or hampering.

our choices were confined by finances

Examples of confine in a Sentence

Noun

within the confines of the city

outside the confines of the school walls

that's beyond the confines of my power as dean of the college

Verb

will confine my remarks to the subject we came here to discuss

the accused was confined until the trial could take place

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Distributor Banijay has struck deals for three European versions of a spin-off that will for the first time take the show beyond the confines of a studio. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024

But the Eastern Sierra’s housing crunch stretches well beyond the confines of Mammoth Lakes. —Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024

Verb

Due to drought, agriculture, competition with invasive plants and wildfires, the species that was once present throughout Hawaii is now confined to a single island, Lanai. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024

The interstate highway system was massive, but that was confined to highways. —Nicholas Lemann, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English confynyes, borrowed from Latin confīnia, plural of confīnium "common boundary, limit, border," from confīnis "having a common boundary" (from con- con- + -fīnis, adjective derivative of fīnis "boundary, limit, ending") + -ium, suffix of compounded nouns — more at final entry 1

Verb

borrowed from Middle French confiner "to be adjacent, restrain within limits," probably borrowed from Italian confinare, derivative of confine "boundary line, limit," noun derivative from neuter of Latin confīnis "having a common boundary" — more at confine entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1523, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

confine

verb

con·​fine

kən-ˈfīn

confined; confining

1

: to keep within limits : restrict

confined the message to twenty words

2

a

: to shut up : imprison

confined for life

b

: to keep indoors

confined with a cold

confinement

kən-ˈfīn-mənt

noun

confiner noun

Medical Definition

confine

transitive verb

con·​fine kən-ˈfīn 

confined; confining

: to keep from leaving accustomed quarters (as one's room or bed) under pressure of infirmity, childbirth, or detention

Legal Definition

confine

transitive verb

con·​fine

confined; confining

: to hold within a location

specifically : imprison