# restrictive

/ɹiˈstɹɪktɪv/ (US) · /ɹɪstɹˈɪktɪv/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. limiting freedom

adjective · CEFR B2

limiting what people can do or how they can behave.

For teachers: imposing restrictions on liberty, action, or choice.

- 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.

### 2. limiting movement

adjective · CEFR B2

fitting too tightly or making it hard to move your body.

For teachers: physically constraining or limiting the range of bodily motion.

- 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.

### 3. grammar

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

describing a part of a sentence that is necessary to identify the person or thing you are talking about.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. a defining clause

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Technical

a short way to say 'restrictive clause' or 'restrictive element'.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The new rules are very restrictive.
- The company has a restrictive dress code that bans jeans and t-shirts.
- Critics argued that the restrictive trade policies stifled local innovation and protected only the largest domestic corporations.

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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.