Confine Meaning
/kənˈfaɪn/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo have a common boundary with; to border on.
verbTo restrict (someone or something) to a particular scope or area; to keep in or within certain bounds.
Sentence Examples
Here, I'll confine this discussion to why many foreigners enjoy sumo.
Confine your remarks to the matter we are discussing.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The farmer had to ____ the flock of sheep inside the barn.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Due to his illness, the doctor advised him to ____ himself to his bed for the next few days.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French confiner, from confins, from Medieval Latin confines, from Latin confinium, from confīnis.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Where your gloomy bounds / Confine with heaven"
— 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
"Betwixt heaven and earth and skies there stands a place / Confining on all three."
— 1717, John Dryden, “Book XII”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
"‘Why, Sir, to be sure, such parts of Sclavonia as confine with Germany, will borrow German words; and such parts as confine with Tartary will borrow Tartar words.’"
— 1791, James Boswell, Life of Johnson, Oxford, published 2008, page 467:
"Now let not nature's hand / Keep the wild flood confined! let order die!"
— c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
"Here perhaps one of you might interrupt me and say, 'But what is it that you do, Socrates? How is it that you have been misrepresented like this? Surely all this talk and gossip about you would never have arisen if you had confined yourself to ordinary activities, but only if your behaviour was abnormal. Give us the explanation, if you do not want us to draw our own conclusions.'"
— 1993, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick and Harold Tarrant, “Justice and Duty (i): Socrates Speaks at his Trial: the Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), revised edition, London; New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 41:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The farmer had to ____ the flock of sheep inside the barn.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Due to his illness, the doctor advised him to ____ himself to his bed for the next few days.