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to restrict

to restrict

361 3.1
Limit how much people can use or access something
  • verb
  • /rɪˈstrɪkt/
translation icon : restringir
  • Some cities restrict food truck sales to two hours.
  • restrict access
  • restrict individual liberties
  • restrict rights

But sadly, that does mean restricting your potential.

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Examples

  • One issue is that a number of analyses were restricted to children telling valid stories.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Some retirees may decide that moving to an age-restricted, assisted-living retirement community is desirable.

    Academic text (2011)
  • If you subscribe to that notion, it's going to restrict your opportunities.

  • However, access to these approaches remains restricted to a minority of those who might benefit from them.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Laws and regulations that restrict individual liberties are frequently needed to ensure community health and safety.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The ditch led down, deeper, until their view was restricted to a narrow band of sky.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Therefore, this review is restricted to reporting the gross advantages or gains from community college attendance.

    Academic text (2011)
  • To improve public safety, the city decided to restrict the hours when fireworks could be set off.

  • The new policy will restrict the amount of plastic that can be used in packaging to help the environment.

  • The school district has to restrict the number of students in each classroom to comply with health guidelines.

Synonyms

to control
vsto restrict
2.4

To have power over people, things, or situations

focuses more on limiting amount, access, or sharing specifically
to limit
vsto restrict
2.1

To control how much or how often something happens

covers also control of access and sharing beyond just size
to regulate
vsto restrict
258 3.4

To control something using rules or laws

can be done by any means, not only formal rules or laws
to confine
vsto restrict
215 4.2

Keep someone or something within limits, for example in a small space

includes nonphysical limits such as access, use, or sharing
to cut back
vsto restrict
169 2.9

To reduce how much you buy and use to save money and be healthier

is more general and can include other controls like access
to confine to
vsto restrict
106 4.8

To keep something within set limits, for example in a room or a topic

applies more widely to amounts, access, or information sharing
to curb
vsto restrict
73 3.5

To limit or control something to stop it getting worse

is neutral and applies to any amount, access, or sharing
to constrain
vsto restrict
64 5.6

To limit what someone can do or how they can act

is broader, covering general control of amount or access
to curtail
vsto restrict
52 6.3

To make something shorter or less than planned

focuses on limiting amount or access rather than shortening duration
to ration
vsto restrict
34 5.1

To limit how much food or supplies each person gets when there is not enough

covers broader limiting actions beyond fixed or shared distribution
to clamp down
vsto restrict
18 4.2

To use strict rules and punishments to stop bad or illegal actions

is broader and can be done softly or by rule rather than force
to clamp down on
vsto restrict
13 5.3

Take strong action to stop something bad or illegal

is a general limiting action and not necessarily forceful enforcement
to throttle
vsto restrict
5 7.5

To reduce or control how much of something is allowed

is the general act of controlling amount or access rather than slowing
to overregulate
vsto restrict
1 6.9

To make too many rules that limit businesses or activities

is simple limitation without the connotation of excessiveness
to trammel
vsto restrict
  • Formal
1 9.9

To limit someone's freedom or ability to act

is a straightforward limitation of amount, access, or use
to overbound
vsto restrict
8.4

To limit something more than needed so it has less freedom

is neutral control and does not imply being excessive

Antonyms

1.0

To let something happen or let someone do something

805 2.5

To grow larger in size, amount, or importance

To remove limits from something so people can use it freely

How Restrictive

to prohibit
299 3.3
to restrict
361 3.1
to limit
2.1
to curtail
52 6.3

Surface Forms

restrict infinitive
restricted past
restricted past participle
restricting present participle
restricts third person singular

Morphology

restrict = strict (semi-transparent) = re + strict

The form suggests the productive prefix 're-' + 'strict', and the idea of 'tightening' or limiting is related to 'strict', but the exact sense 'to limit' is not a direct predictable meaning from 'strict' for many learners.

Etymology

The word restrict comes from the parts re- and stringere, where re- means 'back' and stringere means 'to pull tight', and it shares the same root as string and strict. So, to restrict something is like pulling it back or tying it tight, which is why it means to limit or control it.