constraint
noun
con·straint
kən-ˈstrānt 
1
a
: the act of constraining
b
: the state of being checked, restricted, or compelled to avoid or perform some action
… the constraint and monotony of a monastic life …—
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnolda life of invalidism and constraint
c
: a constraining condition, agency, or force : check
put legal constraints on the board's activities
Budget constraints have forced me to revise my travel plans.
2
a
: repression of one's own feelings, behavior, or actions
emotional constraint
b
: a sense of being constrained : embarrassment
" … a constraint between us as if we were strangers … "—John P. Marquand
John P. MarquandExamples of constraint in a Sentence
Lack of funding has been a major constraint on the building's design.
They demand freedom from constraint.
They refuse to work under constraint any longer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Greater Robustness And Reliability: Better equipped to handle out-of-distribution data and novel scenarios safely and reliably by incorporating safety parameters, constraints and logical invariants.
—Anuradha Weeraman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
But as a two-term governor in a blue state, Pritzker has the luxury of not having to make a choice under the usual constraints of seeking a political advantage, said Robin Johnson, a governmental relations, public policy and political consultant.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Although the Magic run the risk of losing both in free agency, declining the options gives the team the opportunity to negotiate cap-friendly deals as well as create more space below the first apron, one of the league’s financial constraints under the fairly new collective bargaining agreement.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
But this simply can't happen given the engineering constraints of their Mars sample return mission as publicly presented.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Anuradha Weeraman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
But as a two-term governor in a blue state, Pritzker has the luxury of not having to make a choice under the usual constraints of seeking a political advantage, said Robin Johnson, a governmental relations, public policy and political consultant.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Although the Magic run the risk of losing both in free agency, declining the options gives the team the opportunity to negotiate cap-friendly deals as well as create more space below the first apron, one of the league’s financial constraints under the fairly new collective bargaining agreement.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
But this simply can't happen given the engineering constraints of their Mars sample return mission as publicly presented.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constraint. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
constraint
noun
con·straint
kən-ˈstrānt
1
: the act of constraining : the state of being constrained
2
: something that constrains : check
3
: a holding back of one's feelings, actions, or behavior
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share