restraint.

1. Control that holds back an impulse, emotion, or excessive action.

2. A restriction that limits an action, freedom, or amount.

3. A device or fastening used to restrict movement or hold a body or object securely.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• show restraint
• admirable restraint

On the page

Her restraint was visible in the care with which she set down the glass.

He spoke with restraint because every accusation would implicate someone absent.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychological / character. Forms: Usually uncountable in the first sense; countable in the indicated secondary senses. Plural restraints. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.