constraint

C1 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /kənˈstɹæɪnt/ UK /kənˈstɹeɪnt/ See IPA manual

Freq #46225

Meanings

1

noun
Something that limits or restricts what you can do.

Budget constraints forced the team to cancel the project.
2

noun
The act of holding back or controlling one's feelings.

He spoke with great constraint, hiding his real anger.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · the act of holding back or... restraint

Word family

Forms constraints

Derived forms constraintedconstraintiveconstraintlessmetaconstraintmulticonstraintnonconstraintsubconstraintunconstraintunconstrainted

Related forms constrain constrict restraint

Etymology

From Middle English constreynt, constreynte, from Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre (“to constrain”), from Latin cōnstringō (corresponding to the past participle cōnstrictus).

*streyg- Proto-Indo-European constreynt Middle English constreinte Old French cōnstringō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# constraint

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kənˈstɹæɪnt/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈstɹeɪnt/
**Frequency rank:** 46225

## Meanings
1. Something that limits or restricts what you can do.
2. The act of holding back or controlling one's feelings.

## Examples
- Budget constraints forced the team to cancel the project.
- He spoke with great constraint, hiding his real anger.

## Derived Forms
- constrainted
- constraintive
- constraintless
- metaconstraint
- multiconstraint
- nonconstraint
- subconstraint
- unconstraint
- unconstrainted

## Related Forms
- constrain
- constrict
- restraint

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *streyg-
- Root: constreynt
- Root: constreinte
- Root: cōnstringō

## Etymology
From Middle English constreynt, constreynte, from Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre (“to constrain”), from Latin cōnstringō (corresponding to the past participle cōnstrictus).

## AI Etymology
Constraint is from Middle English constreynt, constreynte, from Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre (“to constrain”), from Latin cōnstringō (corresponding to the past participle cōnstrictus). Important historical forms include Proto-Indo-European *streyg-, Middle English constreynt, Old French constreinte, and Latin cōnstringō. In present-day use, it can mean something that limits or restricts what you can do, or the act of holding back or controlling one's feelings. Derived formations include constrainted, constraintive, constraintless, metaconstraint, multiconstraint.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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