constraint

constraint — noun

1. a limit or rule that prevents someone from acting freely or doing things exactly

1.nounB2
Definition

a limit or rule that prevents someone from acting freely or doing things exactly as they would like

Example

Financial constraints forced the Watanabe family to cancel their summer holiday.

collocation: financial constraints

Time constraints meant that Daichi had only thirty minutes for the presentation.

collocation: time constraints

Common collocations
  • budget constraint
  • time constraint
  • financial constraint
  • legal constraint
  • resource constraint
  • impose constraints on
  • place constraints on
  • operate under constraints
  • constraint of space
  • constraint of time
Synonyms
  • restriction

    more direct and often implies a rule or law that forbids something

  • limitation

    focuses on a boundary or upper bound rather than a forbidding rule

  • curb

    stronger, suggests actively holding something back or reducing it

Antonyms
  • freedom

    the absence of limits on what one can do

  • liberty

    the right to act without restriction

Grammar Patterns

constraint on something

constraint of something

Usage Note

Often combined with nouns such as budget, time, legal, or financial to specify the type of limit. The preposition 'on' commonly follows when naming what is restricted.

Common Mistakes

There are too many constraints in this cake recipe.
There are too many steps in this cake recipe.
a constraint is a limit or restriction, not a step or ingredient.
I have a time constraint to finish my homework by 8pm.
I have a time constraint that means I must finish my homework by 8pm.
'constraint' names the limit, not the deadline itself.

2. behaviour that appears stiff, awkward, or unnatural because a person is trying t

2.nounC1
Definition

behaviour that appears stiff, awkward, or unnatural because a person is trying too hard to control their emotions or actions in a social situation

Example

Talia spoke with a constraint that made her seem unfriendly to new colleagues.

pattern: speak with constraint

The constraint in Manuela's body language showed how nervous she felt.

pattern: constraint in body language

Common collocations
  • social constraint
  • speak with constraint
  • show constraint
  • a certain constraint
  • constraint in someone's manner
  • constraint in the atmosphere
Synonyms
  • restraint

    focuses on holding back or controlling oneself, less about social awkwardness

  • stiffness

    more physical in tone, often describes body language rather than atmosphere

  • formality

    less negative, describing polite but distant social rules rather than awkwardness

Antonyms
  • naturalness

    the quality of behaving without effort or pretence

  • ease

    comfortable and relaxed behaviour in social settings

  • spontaneity

    acting on impulse without self-conscious control

Grammar Patterns

with constraint

constraint in something

Usage Note

Most common in formal writing about social interactions or psychological states. Usually uncountable — do not say 'a constraint' in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 refers to an external limit, while sense 2 describes a person's internal tension or awkwardness.

Common Mistakes

His constraint at the dinner was funny.
His awkwardness at the dinner was funny.
constraint describes controlled, uncomfortable behaviour, not an amusing situation.
I felt a constraint to laugh at his joke.
I felt an urge to laugh at his joke.
constraint does not mean a sudden impulse.

3. a situation in which someone is forced to act against their will, usually throug

3.nounB2
Definition

a situation in which someone is forced to act against their will, usually through pressure or threats from another person

Example

The confession was given under constraint and could not be used in court.

common phrase: under constraint (legal context)

No employee should be asked to work under constraint against their will.

Common collocations
  • under constraint
  • act under constraint
  • sign under constraint
  • confess under constraint
  • given under constraint
  • obtained under constraint
Synonyms
  • coercion

    stronger and more direct; often implies physical force or explicit threats

  • duress

    a legal term for threat-based compulsion that invalidates consent

  • compulsion

    broader, can refer to both external force and internal urge

Antonyms
  • willingness

    acting voluntarily without pressure

  • consent

    agreement given freely without coercion

  • choice

    the ability to decide freely among options

Grammar Patterns

under constraint

act under constraint

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'under constraint,' especially in legal, business, or news contexts describing coerced statements or agreements. Never used in everyday situations for mild pressure — save it for serious coercion.

Common Mistakes

I went to the party under constraint because my friends asked me.
I went to the party reluctantly because my friends asked me.
'under constraint' implies serious force or threats, not mild social pressure.
He worked under constraint to meet the deadline.
He worked under pressure to meet the deadline.
a deadline is a time limit (sense 1), not a coercive force.

Word family

  • constrain
    verbB2
  • constrained
    adjectiveB2
  • constraining
    adjectiveC1
  • unconstrained
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Constraint, restriction, limitation, and curb all describe limits on action, but they differ in tone and usage. A restriction often implies a clear rule that forbids specific actions — for example, a speed restriction on a road. A limitation sets an upper boundary or maximum, such as a limitation on how much money can be spent. A curb is more active and suggests deliberately reducing something undesirable, like a curb on carbon emissions. Constraint is the most neutral of the four: it describes a limit that exists, whether imposed by rules, circumstances, or resources. You might face a budget constraint (a neutral limit on spending), a legal restriction (a rule forbidding something), a time limitation (a boundary on how long you have), or a curb on waste (a measure to reduce it).

restriction ↗limitation ↗curb ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • subject to constraints
  • without constraint

Prepositions

  • under constraint
  • within constraints

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Constraint entered English from Old French 'constreinte', which came from Latin 'constringere' — a combination of 'com-' (together) and 'stringere' (to draw tight, bind). The original image was of tying or binding something tightly. The meaning of 'being forced' appeared in the 1400s, while the broader sense of 'a limit or restriction' developed in the 1600s as the word moved from physical binding to abstract limitation.