MEANING
to limit the range, extent, or freedom of something
Use it for
Words that belong together
- constrain choice
- constrain growth
- constrained by resources
On the page
Limited funding constrained the study's scope.
The rules constrain which cases can be included.
Geography constrained the city's expansion.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- constrain / constrains
- Past tense
- constrained
- Past participle
- constrained
- Present participle
- constraining
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- constrain / constrains
- Present continuous
- am/is/are constraining
- Present perfect
- have/has constrained
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been constraining
- Past
- constrained
- Past continuous
- was/were constraining
- Past perfect
- had constrained
- Past perfect continuous
- had been constraining
- Future
- will constrain / constrains
- Future continuous
- will be constraining
- Future perfect
- will have constrained
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been constraining
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary curation section: Academic. A constraint narrows possibilities; it need not eliminate them entirely. Can concern resources, rules, or conditions. constrain; constrains; constrained; constrained; constraining. Related noun: constraint.
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