# restricting

/ɹiˈstɹɪktɪŋ/ (US) · /ɹɪstɹˈɪktɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/restricting
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. limiting freedom or movement

adjective · CEFR B2

limiting what you can do or how you can move.

For teachers: serving to limit or confine freedom, movement, or scope. Often used to describe rules, clothing, or physical environments.

- The new office rules are very restricting and make it hard to work.
- The athlete found the heavy brace quite restricting, as it prevented the full range of motion required for a competitive sprint.

## Examples

- The new laws are very restricting.
- The athlete found the tight bandage too restricting and asked the trainer to loosen it before the race.
- While the legal framework was designed to prevent fraud, many small business owners argued that the overly restricting regulations actually stifled innovation and discouraged new market entries.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.