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

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

But there are many times, like in the tight confines of a mobile home or small apartment, where a combination model is the only answer. —Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2023

The tight confines result in cramped arrow keys, a shrunken right Shift key, and a column of page and line navigation keys on the right edge. —Mark Knapp, PCMAG, 4 Sep. 2023

Mark your calendars Louisville City FC has a pair of games this week, both at the friendly confines of Lynn Family Stadium. —Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 6 Aug. 2023

In an exclusive sneak peek of the premiere, above, viewers will meet the retired journalist, flight attendant and electronic technician and step inside the confines of his home. —Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 2 Aug. 2023

Colorado’s board of defectors voted unanimously on Thursday afternoon for the Buffaloes to Mile Hightail their way back to the familiar confines of their original conference after holding down the bottom of this one for most of its 12-year sojourn. —Bill Oram, oregonlive, 27 July 2023

Sakkari's match was played on Court 17, an open-air stadium where neighbors can be at a park outside the confines of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. —Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023

Across town within the confines of the Bartlett High School pool, the 2023 Big 8 Invitational for swimming featured an extra team this year as Wasilla participated as well. —Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Aug. 2023

The entertainment district facilitates outdoor activities, such as at The Camp, by allowing patrons to take alcoholic beverages outdoors within the confines of the district. —Paul Gattis | [e-mail], al, 29 Aug. 2023

Verb

Video showed lava spewing from fissures at the crater’s base, but the activity was confined to the crater. —Melissa Alonso, CNN, 11 Sep. 2023

This elliptical novel, narrated by an unnamed woman who is confined to her bed by a high fever, consists of four character studies. —By Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023

Masterson remains confined to the men's jail in Los Angeles but will soon be moved to the Wasco State Prison‑Reception Center, the source said. —Diana Dasrath, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2023

In a similar case in June, a judge in Ireland blocked the extradition of a man to Scotland on humanitarian grounds, saying that prison policies and severe overcrowding meant the man could be confined for 22 hours a day in less than 10 feet of space. —Kate Brady, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023

Don't feel confined by our Italian bread crumb recipe above. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2023

Before the march, everything was confined to the South or to people picketing stores in support of the South. —John Leland, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023

Their lines are strict and the palette is confined to two materials, grey granite and mirror (which dematerializes to become the view). —Town & Country, 25 Aug. 2023

Patient data are confined to individual health systems that are left on their own to develop, validate and deploy AI tools. —Jenna Wiens, STAT, 25 Aug. 2023

See More

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