MEANING
A condition or limit that restricts the choices or actions available.
Use it for
feasible choices; resource limits; explaining restricted outcomesShow what limits an actor instead of assuming unconstrained choice.
Words that belong together
- budget constraint
- institutional constraint
- binding constraint
On the page
The budget constraint ruled out a second round of interviews.
Time was a constraint, but permission from the school was the binding one.
The model treats staffing levels as a constraint rather than a choice.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- constraint
Usage notes
Primary category: academic. A constraint may be legal, material, logical, or practical; not every difficulty is a binding limit. State which choice it restricts. Singular: constraint; plural: constraints. Derived family (not inflections): constrain, constrained.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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