restrictive

adjective

re·stric·tive | \ri-ˈstrik-tiv

Definition of restrictive

1a : of or relating to restriction

b : serving or tending to restrict restrictive regulations

2 : limiting the reference of a modified word or phrase

3 : prohibiting further negotiation

Other Words from restrictive Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about restrictive

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Did You Know?

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

In the sentence “The book that you ordered is out of print,” “that you ordered” is a restrictive clause.

Recent Examples on the Web

Repairing older products is definitely a good thing, but Apple’s restrictive repair practices still mean that devices end up being thrown away when they otherwise could have been repaired. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Apple will reportedly launch a pilot program to repair devices as old as the iPhone 4S," 1 Nov. 2018 Previously, Google did that with a restrictive contract. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Google to charge Android OEMs as much as $40 per phone in EU," 19 Oct. 2018 The clothes are easy to wear, the silhouettes are flattering but never restrictive, and the prints and palettes are always happy. — Alexandra Ilyashov, Glamour, "How Ganni Came to Dictate Everything You Want to Wear Right Now," 10 Oct. 2018 The wording and restrictive nature of this policy appears to align with a number of controversial policies implemented by some schools that seem to overwhelmingly restrict the freedoms of black female students. — Amira Rasool, Allure, "A Black Student’s Elementary School Reportedly Sent Her Home for Wearing Box Braids," 22 Aug. 2018 Last week LimeBike expressed its displeasure with the still-restrictive rules by launching an online petition urging the city to raise the number of wheel-lock bikes allowed and expand the pilot area. — John Greenfield, Chicago Reader, "So long Ofo: Bike-share company is leaving Chicago because of lock requirements," 9 July 2018 The Trump administration’s plan to deploy some of the most restrictive investment limits in its economic arsenal against China marks a setback for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s effort to take a less confrontational approach toward Beijing. — Saleha Mohsin, Bloomberg.com, "Mnuchin Suffers Setback in U.S. Plan to Limit China Investments," 25 June 2018 The oil and gas, infrastructure, energy generation and telecom industries are exempted from these more restrictive rules, and will continue under their previous terms, Lighthizer said — a win for those industries. — Ana Swanson, The Seattle Times, "Trump strikes a trade deal with Mexico and threatens to freeze out Canada," 27 Aug. 2018 Although Maryland has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, none could have prevented the massacre of five people in The Capital newsroom Thursday, policymakers said. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland's strict gun laws could not prevent Capital Gazette shooting, spurring talk of changes," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'restrictive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.