restrictive
adjective
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Restrictive covenants (that is, agreements) in real-estate deeds were once used to forbid the buyer from ever selling the property to anyone of another race. These are now illegal, though other kinds of restrictive covenants are very common; in some neighborhoods, they may even tell you what colors you can't paint your house. In grammar, a restrictive clause is one that limits the meaning of something that comes before it. In the sentence "That's the professor who I'm trying to avoid", "who I'm trying to avoid" is a restrictive clause, since it's what identifies the professor. But in the sentence "That's my History professor, who I'm trying to avoid", the same clause is nonrestrictive, since the professor has already been identified as "my History professor". There should always be a comma before a nonrestrictive clause, but not before a restrictive clause.
Examples of restrictive in a Sentence
Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 22 July 2025
There have been concerns that Medicare Advantage plans apply different requirements, resulting in coverage that is more restrictive than Original Medicare.
—Diane Omdahl, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
According to a 2024 report by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, at least eight states have passed legislation since 2020 aimed at reforming bail — things like requiring judges to impose the least restrictive conditions and eliminating cash bail either entirely or for low-level offenses.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 21 July 2025
The central bank doesn’t have to wait for inflation to return to 2% to start lowering rates again; rates are clearly at a level that the median Fed policymaker would deem restrictive.
—Jonathan Levin, Twin Cities, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for restrictive
Cite this Entry
“Restrictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restrictive. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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restrictive
adjective
Legal Definition
restrictive
adjective
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