restraint
noun /rɪˈstreɪnt/
  /rɪˈstreɪnt/
- [countable, usually plural] restraint (on somebody/something) a rule, a fact, an idea, etc. that limits or controls what people can do
- The government has imposed export restraints on some products.
 - social restraints on drinking alcohol
 
Synonyms limitlimit- restriction
 - control
 - constraint
 - restraint
 - limitation
 
- limit the greatest or smallest amount of something that is allowed:
- The EU has set strict limits on pollution levels.
 - the speed limit
 
 - restriction (rather formal) a rule or law that limits what you can do:
- There are no restrictions on the amount of money you can withdraw.
 
 - control (often in compounds) the act of limiting or managing something; a method of doing this:
- arms control
 
 - constraint (rather formal) a fact or decision that limits what you can do:
- We have to work within severe constraints of time and money.
 
 - restraint (rather formal) a decision, a rule, an idea, etc. that limits what you can do; the act of limiting something because it is necessary or sensible to do so:
- The government has imposed export restraints on some products.
 - The unions are unlikely to accept any sort of wage restraint.
 
 - limitation the act or process of limiting something; a rule, fact or condition that limits something:
- They would resist any limitation of their powers.
 
 
- limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations on something
 - limits/limitations to something
 - severe limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations
 - tight limits/restrictions/controls/constraints
 - to impose/remove limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations
 - to lift restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints
 
Extra Examples- The government imposed restraints on spending.
 - They balked at the notion of prior restraints on research.
 - We did the best we could within the limited time restraints.
 - What happens when the conventional restraints on human cruelty are removed?
 - agreements on voluntary export restraints
 - There are certain social restraints on drinking alcohol.
 
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- voluntary
 - conventional
 - physical
 - …
 
- impose
 - use
 - remove
 - …
 
- without restraint
 - restraint on
 - restraint upon
 - …
 
 - [uncountable] the act of controlling or limiting something because it is necessary or sensible to do so
- The unions are unlikely to accept any sort of wage restraint.
 - without restraint They said that they would fight without restraint (= completely freely) for what they wanted.
 
Extra Examples- talks on voluntary wage restraint
 - the government's need to exercise fiscal restraint
 - Prices continued to rise without restraint.
 
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- voluntary
 - conventional
 - physical
 - …
 
- impose
 - use
 - remove
 - …
 
- without restraint
 - restraint on
 - restraint upon
 - …
 
 - [uncountable] the quality of behaving calmly and with control synonym self-control
- The police appealed to the crowd for restraint.
 - He exercised considerable restraint in ignoring the insults.
 
Extra Examples- Finally he was able to cry properly, without restraint.
 - He abandoned all restraint and yelled at the top of his lungs.
 - Journalists have exercised remarkable restraint in not reporting all the sordid details of the case.
 - Somehow I had the restraint not to tell Peter that.
 - The government called for restraint by both sides.
 - The media should have used more restraint in disclosing his private life.
 - The role requires a certain restraint.
 - They reacted with restraint.
 - the mutual restraint shown by police and protesters.
 
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- considerable
 - great
 - remarkable
 - …
 
- have
 - exercise
 - practise/practice
 - …
 
- with restraint
 - without restraint
 - restraint by
 - …
 
 - [uncountable] (formal) the use of physical force to control somebody who is behaving in a violent way
- the physical restraint of prisoners
 
Extra Examples- Sometimes the care workers need to use physical restraint on the hospital patients.
 - guilty of the charge of unlawful restraint
 
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- voluntary
 - conventional
 - physical
 - …
 
- impose
 - use
 - remove
 - …
 
- without restraint
 - restraint on
 - restraint upon
 - …
 
 - [countable] (formal) a type of seat belt or safety device
- Children must use an approved child restraint or adult seat belt.
 
 
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French restreinte, feminine past participle of restreindre ‘hold back’, from Latin restringere, from re- ‘back’ + stringere ‘to tie, pull tight’.