restraint
noun
re·straint
ri-ˈstrānt 
1
a
: an act of restraining : the state of being restrained
b(1)
: a means of restraining : a restraining force or influence
(2)
: a device that restricts movement
a restraint for children riding in cars
2
: a control over the expression of one's emotions or thoughts
Examples of restraint in a Sentence
Make sure the child safety restraint is in place.
The prisoner was placed in restraints.
His angry response showed a lack of restraint.
The government has acted with restraint in dealing with this crisis.
Recent Examples on the Web
Walmart, Whole Foods, and Amazon also faced calls for economic restraint by consumers.
—
Karen R. King, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
China, which claims control of part of Kashmir has also called for restraint.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Join 315 others in the comments View Comments Whether the market can continue to serve as a restraint on Trump’s intent to implement aggressive trade policy has ignited debate on Wall Street.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
Late Friday night, in a far corner of the nearly empty draft room, Gladstone had commended Boselli for his restraint during the Milum/Jones discussion.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restraint
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Karen R. King, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
China, which claims control of part of Kashmir has also called for restraint.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Join 315 others in the comments View Comments Whether the market can continue to serve as a restraint on Trump’s intent to implement aggressive trade policy has ignited debate on Wall Street.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
Late Friday night, in a far corner of the nearly empty draft room, Gladstone had commended Boselli for his restraint during the Milum/Jones discussion.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restraint
Cite this Entry
“Restraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restraint. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
restraint
noun
re·straint
ri-ˈstrānt
1
: the act of restraining : the state of being restrained
held in restraint
2
: a restraining force or influence
3
: control over one's behavior
act with restraint
Medical Definition
restraint
noun
re·straint
ri-ˈstrānt
: a device that restricts movement
restraints such as straitjackets for violent patients
Legal Definition
restraint
noun
re·straint
ri-ˈstrānt
1
a
: an act or fact of restraining see also prior restraint
b
: the state of being restrained
2
a
: a means of restraining
b
: a device that restricts movement (as of prisoners or violent psychiatric patients)
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