restriction

re·stric·tion
R1E1S1T1R1I1C3T1I1O1N1
/ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/

noun

The act of restricting, or the state of being restricted.

CommonScrabble 13

Meanings

nounrestriction (countable and uncountable, plural restrictions)

plural restrictions

  1. countableuncountableThe act of restricting, or the state of being restricted.

    A surge of tight restriction emanates from the locale as tense muscles quiver like overtuned violin strings, and the feeling of shifting the kneecap back in place is very similar to cracking a knuckle (and in fact can produce an audible pop, adding a delightful aural component to the mix).

    2013 June 25, Chris Kluwe, “A Bit of Strained Groin and a Dash of Trick Knee”, in Slate, archived from the original on 14 Apr 2019
  2. countableuncountableA regulation or limitation that restricts.

    In its lawsuit, the Times said the policy unlawfully restricts essential newsgathering techniques and gives the Pentagon “unfettered” discretion to revoke passes, permitting it to impose the type of “viewpoint-based” press restrictions forbidden by the constitution.

    2026 March 20, “US judge blocks Pentagon’s restrictions on press after New York Times lawsuit”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 21 Mar 2026
    1 more example

    In the year 1819, Sir Robert Peel brought in a bill, and which finally passed both houses, and received the royal assent on the 2nd July, for continuing the restrictions contained in several acts of parliament, on payments in cash by the bank of England, until the 1st day of May, 1823, and to provide for the gradual resumption of cash payments: [...] VIII. After the first day of May, 1822, the bank of England, if they shall think fit, may pay or exchange the lawful coin of the realm, for any of their own notes, payable on demand.

    1835, Thomas Stephen, “The Rise, Progress, and Gradual Improvement of the Laws of England”, in The Book of the Constitution of Great Britain: […], Glasgow; Edinburgh: Blackie & Son, […]; Dublin: W. Curry, Jun., & Co.; London: Simpkin & Marshall, →OCLC, pages 275–276
  3. countableuncountablebiologyThe mechanism by which a cell degrades foreign DNA material.

    Echinorhagata is likewise supported by typical echinoderid autapomorphies, inclusive the number of trichoscalids that is reduced from 14 to 6; restriction of lateral accessory spines to females only; and an apparent restriction of the middorsal spines to appear only on segments 4 to 8.

    2015 July 23, “Phylogeny of Kinorhyncha Based on Morphology and Two Molecular Loci”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna principle that limits the extent of something

Similar

nounan act of limiting or restricting (as by regulation)

Similar

nounthe act of keeping something within specified bounds (by force if necessary)

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinrestringō
  2. Late Latinrestrictiō
  3. Middle Frenchrestriction
  4. Anglo-Normanrestriction
  5. Middle Englishrestriccioun
  6. Englishrestriction

From Middle English restriccioun, from Anglo-Norman restriction, Middle French restriction, and their source, Late Latin restrictiō, from Latin restringō. Morphologically restrict + -ion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَقْيِيد, اِقْتِصَار
  • تَقْيِيد (taqyīd)act or state
  • اِقْتِصَار (iqtiṣār)act or state
  • قَيْد (qayd)act or state
  • قَيْد (qayd)regulation or limitation
Bulgarian огранича́ване, ограниче́ние
  • огранича́ване (ograničávane)act or state
  • ограниче́ние (ograničénie)act or state
  • ограниче́ние (ograničénie)regulation or limitation
  • рестри́кция (restríkcija)degradation of DNA
Catalan restricció, restricció
  • restriccióact or state
  • restriccióregulation or limitation
Chinese Cantonese 限制
  • 限制 (haan⁶ zai³)act or state
Chinese Mandarin 限制
  • 限制 (xiànzhì)act or state
Czech omezení, omezení
  • omezeníact or state
  • omezeníregulation or limitation
Danish begrænsning, indskrænkning
  • begrænsningact or state
  • indskrænkningact or state
Dutch beperking
  • beperkingact or state
Estonian piiramine, piirang
  • piiramineact or state
  • piirangregulation or limitation
Finnish rajoittaminen, rajoitus
  • rajoittaminenact or state
  • rajoitusregulation or limitation
  • rajoiteregulation or limitation
French restriction, restriction
  • restrictionact or state
  • restrictiondegradation of DNA
German Beschränkung, Einschränkung
  • Beschränkungact or state
  • Einschränkungact or state
  • Begrenzungact or state
  • Beschränkungregulation or limitation
  • Einschränkungregulation or limitation
Greek περιορισμός
  • περιορισμός (periorismós)act or state
Hebrew הַגְבָּלָה, סְיָג
  • הַגְבָּלָה (hagbalá)act or state
  • סְיָג (syag)act or state
Hindi प्रतिबंध, बंदिश
  • प्रतिबंध (pratibandh)act or state
  • बंदिश (bandiś)act or state
  • पाबंदी (pābandī)act or state
  • रुकावट (rukāvaṭ)act or state
  • निषेध (niṣedh)act or state
Hungarian korlátozás
  • korlátozásact or state
Icelandic takmörkun
  • takmörkunact or state
Irish teorannú
  • teorannúact or state
Italian restrizione, restrizione
  • restrizioneact or state
  • restrizioneregulation or limitation
  • restrizionedegradation of DNA
Japanese 制限
  • 制限 (seigen)act or state
Korean 제한
  • 제한 (jehan)act or state
Latvian ierobežojums
  • ierobežojumsact or state
Lithuanian apribojimas, apribojimas
  • apribojimasact or state
  • apribojimasregulation or limitation
Norwegian Bokmål begrensning, restriksjon
  • begrensningact or state
  • restriksjonregulation or limitation
Polish ograniczenie, restrykcja
  • ograniczenieact or state
  • restrykcjaregulation or limitation
  • obostrzenieregulation or limitation
Portuguese restrição, restrição
  • restriçãoact or state
  • restriçãodegradation of DNA
Romanian restricție, restricție
  • restricțieact or state
  • restricțieregulation or limitation
Russian ограниче́ние, ограниче́ние
  • ограниче́ние (ograničénije)act or state
  • ограниче́ние (ograničénije)regulation or limitation
  • рестри́кция (restríkcija)regulation or limitation
  • рестри́кция (restríkcija)degradation of DNA
Slovak obmedzenie
  • obmedzenieact or state
Spanish restricción, restricción
  • restricciónact or state
  • restricciónregulation or limitation
  • cortapisaregulation or limitation
  • restriccióndegradation of DNA
Swedish begränsning, inskränkning
  • begränsningact or state
  • inskränkningact or state
  • restriktionregulation or limitation
  • begränsningregulation or limitation
Thai ข้อจำกัด, การจำกัด
  • ข้อจำกัด (kɔ̂ɔ-jam-gàt)act or state
  • การจำกัด (gaan-jam-gàt)act or state
Turkish kısıtlama, sınırlama
  • kısıtlamaact or state
  • sınırlamaact or state
Ukrainian обме́ження, обме́ження
  • обме́ження (obméžennja)act or state
  • обме́ження (obméžennja)regulation or limitation
Urdu بَنْدِش, پابَنْدی
  • بَنْدِش (bandiś)act or state
  • پابَنْدی (pābandī)act or state
  • قَید (qaid)act or state
  • رُکاوَٹ (rukāvaṭ)act or state
  • مَحْدُودِیَت (mahdūdiyat)act or state
Vietnamese hạn chế
  • hạn chếact or state

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with restriction

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

restriction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restriction

MLA

“restriction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restriction. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “restriction,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restriction.

Source: restriction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.