restraint
noun
re·straint
ri-ˈstrānt 
1
a
: an act of restraining : the state of being restrained
b(1)
: a means of restraining : a restraining force or influence
(2)
: a device that restricts movement
a restraint for children riding in cars
2
: a control over the expression of one's emotions or thoughts
Examples of restraint in a Sentence
Make sure the child safety restraint is in place.
The prisoner was placed in restraints.
His angry response showed a lack of restraint.
The government has acted with restraint in dealing with this crisis.
Recent Examples on the Web
That restraint depended on her cast’s ability to convey emotion with minimal speech.
—
Essie Assibu, Variety, 3 Dec. 2025
The tone of the justices’ remarks suggests that judges in the 2020s might be more amenable to restraints imposed on college coaches than were judges in the 1990s.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Dec. 2025
In these agreements, school districts often commit to a host of fixes — such as launching a program to monitor the use of restraint and seclusion — that help not just the student at the center of the complaint but other students as well.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
Officers trained through their careers on principles like proportionality and restraint have outsourced their conscience to legal process.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restraint
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Essie Assibu, Variety, 3 Dec. 2025
The tone of the justices’ remarks suggests that judges in the 2020s might be more amenable to restraints imposed on college coaches than were judges in the 1990s.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Dec. 2025
In these agreements, school districts often commit to a host of fixes — such as launching a program to monitor the use of restraint and seclusion — that help not just the student at the center of the complaint but other students as well.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
Officers trained through their careers on principles like proportionality and restraint have outsourced their conscience to legal process.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restraint
Cite this Entry
“Restraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restraint. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
restraint
noun
re·straint
ri-ˈstrānt
1
: the act of restraining : the state of being restrained
held in restraint
2
: a restraining force or influence
3
: control over one's behavior
act with restraint
Medical Definition
restraint
noun
re·straint
ri-ˈstrānt
: a device that restricts movement
restraints such as straitjackets for violent patients
Legal Definition
restraint
noun
re·straint
ri-ˈstrānt
1
a
: an act or fact of restraining see also prior restraint
b
: the state of being restrained
2
a
: a means of restraining
b
: a device that restricts movement (as of prisoners or violent psychiatric patients)
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