Meaning & use
restrict
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To keep something within a limit by rule or decision, so that it cannot grow beyond a certain size, amount or range.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with 'to': restrict the speed to 30 mph.
Patterns
- restrict something to something
- restrict something
- be restricted to something
The city plans to restrict traffic in the old town.
Access to the lab is restricted to authorized staff.
Doctors restrict the amount of salt in his diet.
verbtransitive
To stop someone or something from moving or acting freely.
Grammar: Takes an object: a tight collar restricts breathing.
Patterns
- restrict someone from doing something
- restrict someone's movement
The heavy cast restricted his movement for weeks.
Narrow doorways restrict wheelchair access.
Thick fog restricted visibility to a few yards.
Word forms
| third person singular | restricts |
|---|---|
| past tense | restricted |
| past participle | restricted |
| -ing form | restricting |
Common combinations
- restrict access
- The museum restricts access to the rare book room.
- restrict movement
- The injury restricts movement in her shoulder.
- severely restrict
- The new law will severely restrict imports.
- restrict yourself to
- I try to restrict myself to one coffee a day.
- restricted area
- Visitors are not allowed in the restricted area.
- restrict the use of
- The school restricts the use of phones in class.
Synonyms and how they differ
- limit
- Limit is the neutral everyday word, while restrict suggests that a rule or authority is imposing the limit.
- confine
- Confine suggests keeping something inside a boundary, often a physical space, whereas restrict is about reducing freedom or amount.
- curb
- Curb means to hold something harmful in check, which is narrower than restrict.
- constrain
- Constrain is more formal and suggests being forced by circumstances, not only by a rule.
Opposites
Word family
- restriction noun
- a rule or limit that controls what you can do
- restricted adjective
- limited or not open to everyone
- restrictive adjective
- imposing strict limits
- restrictively adverb
- in a way that sets limits
- unrestricted adjective
- without limits
Commonly confused: restrict or restrain?
restrict vs restrain
Restrain means to hold someone back physically or stop them acting, while restrict means to set limits on how much or how far.
Practice
The council decided to ___ parking on the main street to two hours.
Choose one answer.
Restrict means to set a limit, and 'to two hours' states the limit. Retain, reject and resume do not fit a cap on how long cars may park.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “restrict”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.