noun
restraint
rih-STRAYNT
noun
1
A device or measure that holds something back or keeps it secure.
"The child seat has a five-point restraint to keep the toddler safe."
"Security fitted a physical restraint after the patient became violent."
2
Self-control; the quality of holding back from acting on every impulse.
"He showed remarkable restraint and didn't respond to the insult."
"The design uses restraint, favouring a few clean elements over clutter."
How to Use Restraint
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a physical thing that holds someone back, or the personal discipline of not overreacting.
Common pairings
show restraint
exercise restraint
physical restraint
Word Forms
restraints plural
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The child seat has a five-point _____ to keep the toddler safe.
Etymology
From Old French restreinte, tied to the verb restrain — "to draw back tightly."