Restraint Meaning
/ɹɪˈstɹeɪnt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounsomething that restrains, ties, fastens or secures
nounControl or caution; reserve.
Sentence Examples
She was angry, but she spoke with restraint.
Institutionally, a major restraint is the copyright problem.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The prisoner was held in the courtroom with tight physical ____ on his wrists.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The judge praised the officer for showing considerable ____ in a situation that could easily have escalated.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English restreynte, from Old French restreinte; more at restrain.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"At the centre of Stalin’s superiority over his competitors was certainly his intense will, just as Napoleon ranked what he called ‘moral fortitude’ higher in a general than genius or experience. When Milovan Djilas said to Stalin during the Yugoslav-Soviet discussions in Moscow during the war that the Serbian politician Gavrilović was ‘a shrewd man’, Stalin commented, as though to himself: ‘Yes, there are politicians who think shrewdness is the main thing in politics. . . .’⁴⁴ His was a will-power taken to a logical extreme. There is something non-human about his almost total lack of normal restraints upon it."
— 1968, Robert Conquest, “The Purge Begins”, in The Great Terror: Stalin's Purge of the Thirties, Macmillan Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 75:
"City will feel nonplussed when they review the tape and Pellegrini had to summon all his restraint in the post-match interviews."
— November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, “Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United”, in guardian.co.uk:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The prisoner was held in the courtroom with tight physical ____ on his wrists.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The judge praised the officer for showing considerable ____ in a situation that could easily have escalated.