Definition

1. Verb:
   • To limit or control the size, amount, or range of something: To set boundaries or rules that confine something within specific limits.
   • To prevent someone or something from moving or acting freely: To impose constraints that reduce freedom or accessibility.

Usage and Examples

• To limit extent, amount, or access:
  • The new policy will restrict access to the building after 8 PM.
  • We need to restrict our spending to stay within the budget.
• To make a rule or condition more specific:
  • The law restricts the sale of alcohol to people over 21.
  • Please restrict your comments to the main topic of the meeting.

Advanced Usage

• "to restrict oneself to something": To deliberately limit one's own actions or choices to a particular thing.
  • For his research, he restricted himself to primary sources only.
• In legal or formal contexts: Often used to describe official limitations imposed by laws, rules, or authorities.
  • The treaty restricts the development of certain types of weapons.

Variants and Related Words

• Restriction (n): A rule or law that limits what people can do.
  • There are parking restrictions in the city center.
• Restrictive (adj): Serving to restrict; limiting.
  • The contract had very restrictive clauses.
• Unrestricted (adj): Not limited or controlled.
  • The view from the hill is unrestricted.

Synonyms

• Limit: To set a point or level beyond which something does not or may not extend.
• Confine: To keep someone or something within certain limits.
• Curtail: To reduce or limit something, especially something perceived as excessive.

Phrasal Verbs

• Restrict to: To limit something to a particular person, group, place, or thing.
  • Membership is restricted to employees only.

Related Idioms

• No phrase is a direct idiom with "restrict," but it is commonly used in formal and regulatory language to indicate limitation.

Verb

1. make more specific
   • qualify these remarks
2. place limits on (extent or access)
   • restrict the use of this parking lot
   • limit the time you can spend with your friends
3. place under restrictions; limit access to
   • This substance is controlled
4. place restrictions on
   • curtail drinking in school