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
Kristin Scharkey, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Market expectations of forthcoming tighter monetary policy — meaning rate hikes — are already causing more restrictive financial and lending conditions, according to European economist at Goldman Sachs Alexandre Stott.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 May 2026
The brokerage window often doesn’t have these restrictions or is less restrictive than the core 401(k) plan.
—Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
ProPublica found that the Department of Homeland Security’s policies on the use of these weapons are less restrictive than those of some local police departments, many of which have been forced to adopt stronger ones following lawsuits or local legislation.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for restrictive
Cite this Entry
“Restrictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restrictive. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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restrictive
adjective
Legal Definition
restrictive
adjective
