Word
confine
Phoneticscon·fine, stress on the second syllable
/kənˈfaɪn/
Definitions
01to restrict to an area
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to keep a person or animal in a small or closed space.
v. to restrict someone or something within a particular physical area or space. Transitive — requires a direct object.
日本語:監禁する※
“The dog was confined to the backyard while the guests were inside.”
“During the outbreak, the patients were confined to a specialized ward to prevent the virus from spreading to the rest of the hospital.”
02to limit a topic or activity
C1 · Advanced Academic
v. to stay within a certain limit or topic and not go beyond it.
v. to restrict a discussion, activity, or problem to a specific scope or subject.
日本語:限る※
“Please confine your comments to the topic we are discussing today.”
“The researcher decided to confine the study to urban populations, excluding rural data to maintain a tighter focus on city infrastructure.”
03boundaries or limits
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Formal · Literary
n. the outer limits or borders of a place.
n. the borders or boundaries of a specific area or the limits of a conceptual space.
“It was difficult to stay happy within the narrow confines of the small office.”
“The artist felt that her creativity was being stifled within the rigid confines of traditional academic painting.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “confine” in context.
Verb
01. confine to
“The discussion will confine to the specific issues raised in the report.”
verb + prep
02. largely confine
“The outbreak was largely confined to the northern provinces of the country.”
adv + verb
Usage
The verb is transitive and frequently takes the preposition 'to' after the direct object.
Pitfall
The illness confined him in bed.
The illness confined him to bed.
When describing restriction to a place or state, 'confine' typically takes the preposition 'to' rather than 'in'.
Real-World Examples
“By contrast, Florida spends only $30,000 a year to confine someone in a state prison.” “Their hybrid character allows them to coherently transport electromagnetic energy while confining it to spatial scales far below the wavelength of light in free space.” Etymology
From Middle French confiner, from confins, from Medieval Latin confines, from Latin confinium, from confīnis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/confine
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0