Restraint

How to spell restraint

9 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce restraint

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does restraint mean?

1. nounModeration or self-control in behaviour, action, or expression.
2. nounA measure, rule, or device that limits or holds something back.

Restraint in a sentence

• She showed remarkable restraint when the meeting turned hostile.

• The new contract placed a clear restraint on overtime hours.

• A little financial restraint would help them pay off the debt.

• The child seat uses a five-point restraint for safety.

Where does restraint come from?

Language of origin: French

This word travelled into English from Old French restreinte, the past participle of restreindre, meaning 'to hold back' or 'to limit'. That French verb descended from the Latin restringere, formed from re- 'back' and stringere 'to draw tight, bind, or compress'. The literal sense was therefore physical: pulling something tightly so it cannot move freely. English adopted it in the late 1300s, at first for the act of holding back or confining, and the meaning soon broadened to cover self-control and moderation of behaviour. The same Latin stringere also gave us 'strict', 'strain', and 'stringent', which all share that idea of tightness, and remembering the buried word 'strain' inside restraint is a useful way to keep the spelling straight.

How the word is built

• re- (back)
• strain (from Latin stringere: to draw or bind tight)
• -t (noun ending)