- 1[countable] a thing that limits or restricts something, or your freedom to do something synonym restriction constraints of time/money/space financial/economic/legal/political constraints constraint on something This decision will impose serious constraints on all schools. Thesauruslimit
- restriction
- control
- constraint
- restraint
- limitation
- limit the greatest or smallest amount of something that is allowed:The government has set strict limits on spending. the speed limit
- restriction (somewhat formal) a rule or law that limits what you can do:There are no restrictions on the amount of money you can withdraw.
- control (often in compounds) the act of limiting or managing something; a method of doing this:crowd control
- constraint (somewhat formal) a fact or decision that limits what you can do:The agency is operating under severe budget constraints.
- restraint (somewhat formal) a decision, a rule, an idea, etc. that limits what you can do; the act of limiting something because it is necessary or sensible to do so:The new law has imposed restraints on exports to Russia.
- limitation the act or process of limiting something; a rule, fact, or condition that limits something:They would resist any limitation of their powers.
- limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations on something
- limits/limitations to something
- severe limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations
- tight limits/restrictions/controls/constraints
- to impose/remove limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations
- to ease/lift restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints
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- 2[uncountable] strict control over the way that you behave or are allowed to behave At last we could relax and talk without constraint.
Check pronunciation: constraint