Word
restrictive
Phoneticsre·stric·tive, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹiˈstɹɪktɪv/
UK/ɹɪstɹˈɪktɪv/
Definitions
01limiting freedom
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. limiting what people can do or how they can behave.
adj. imposing restrictions on liberty, action, or choice.
Español:restrictivo
“The new laws are very restrictive and prevent people from traveling freely.”
“The government faced criticism for its restrictive trade policies, which many argued would stifle innovation and discourage foreign investment.”
Antonyms
02limiting movement
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. fitting too tightly or making it hard to move your body.
adj. physically constraining or limiting the range of bodily motion.
Español:restrictivo
“I found the formal suit very restrictive after wearing casual clothes all week.”
“The athlete complained that the new uniform was too restrictive around the shoulders, affecting his performance during the race.”
03grammar
C1 · Advanced Science Academic · Technical
adj. describing a part of a sentence that is necessary to identify the person or thing you are talking about.
adj. functioning to narrow the potential referents of a noun phrase; essential to the identity of the head noun.
“In the phrase 'the car that is red', the word 'that' starts a restrictive clause.”
“The distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses is crucial for correct punctuation, as the latter requires commas to indicate supplementary information.”
Usage
In English grammar, restrictive clauses are usually not set off by commas.
Antonyms
04a defining clause
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Academic · Technical
n. a short way to say 'restrictive clause' or 'restrictive element'.
n. a linguistic element, such as a relative clause, that functions restrictively.
“The teacher explained how to identify a restrictive in a complex sentence.”
“The author’s frequent use of the restrictive without proper antecedent clarity led to several ambiguities in the technical manual.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Rights groups have criticised those rules as too restrictive.” “Burnham immediately said he was “pausing” the scheme pending a rethink, and early last week he announced he was changing the rules to make the scheme more restrictive .” Etymology
From Middle French restrictif. Morphologically restrict + -ive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/restrictive
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0