constraint
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
something that limits your freedom to do what you want.
a limitation or restriction on one's actions or choices. Often used in the plural to describe external pressures.
Simple“Financial constraints meant the family could not afford a holiday this year.”
In context“The project was completed on time despite significant budgetary constraints and a shortage of skilled labour.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the act of hiding your true feelings or behaving in a very controlled way.
the state of being checked or restricted in the expression of natural feelings or impulses.
Simple“They spoke to each other with great constraint after their argument.”
In context“The diplomat maintained an air of polite constraint, refusing to let his personal frustrations show during the tense negotiations.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a condition or rule that a mathematical solution must follow.
a condition that a solution to an optimization problem or a mathematical model must satisfy.
Simple“The engineer added a weight constraint to the design software.”
In context“In linear programming, the feasible region is defined by the intersection of all given constraints within the model.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
a rule in a computer system that keeps data correct and organized.
a rule or restriction enforced on data in a database to maintain integrity and consistency.
Simple“The database has a constraint that prevents two users from having the same ID.”
In context“The developer implemented a foreign key constraint to ensure that every order was linked to a valid customer record.”
Synonyms
Usage additional constraint · constraint limit · economic constraint
From Middle English constreynt, constreynte, from Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre (“to constrain”), from Latin cōnstringō (corresponding to the past participle cōnstrictus).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.