Definition

1. Noun:
   • A restraint garment: A strong garment, similar to a jacket, designed to bind a person's arms tightly against their body. It is used to restrain individuals, typically those who are violent or considered a danger to themselves or others, limiting their physical movement.
   • A restrictive force or system: Anything non-physical (immaterial) that severely restricts, confines, or hinders freedom of action, creativity, or development.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Physical garment):

  • For the safety of the patient and the staff, the doctor ordered the use of a straitjacket.
  • The historical asylum displayed an old, leather straitjacket in its museum.

• Noun (Metaphorical restriction):

  • The company's outdated policies acted as a straitjacket, preventing any innovation.
  • The artist felt the strict genre conventions were a creative straitjacket.

Advanced Usage

• "to be in a straitjacket": To be severely restricted or confined by something.
  • The new regulations have put the entire industry in a straitjacket.
• "straitjacket of": Used to specify the nature of the restriction.
  • They struggled against the straitjacket of tradition.

Variants and Related Words

• Straitjacket (verb): To restrict or confine as if with a straitjacket. (Note: This is a less common verbal use derived from the noun).
  • The treaty straitjacketed the nation's foreign policy options.

Synonyms

• Restraint (for the physical garment).
• Shackles, constraints, fetters, limitations (for the metaphorical meaning).

Related Phrases

• Financial straitjacket: A situation of severe financial restriction.
  • The debt payments placed the country in a financial straitjacket.
• Ideological straitjacket: A rigid set of beliefs that restricts thought.
  • He rejected the ideological straitjacket of the political party.

Noun

1. a garment similar to a jacket that is used to bind the arms tightly against the body as a means of restraining a violent person
2. anything immaterial that severely hinders or confines
   • they defected because Russian dance was in a straitjacket
   • the government is operating in an economic straitjacket