- (v.t.) To bring into a narrow compass; to compress.
- (v.t.) To violate; to ravish.
- (v.t.) To hold back by force; to restrain; to repress.
- (v.t.) To produce in such a manner as to give an unnatural effect; as, a constrained voice.
- (v.t.) To compel; to force; to necessitate; to oblige.
- (v.t.) To secure by bonds; to chain; to bond or confine; to hold tightly; to constringe.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). constrain. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/constrain/definitions/1990797 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "constrain" http://smartdefine.org/constrain/definitions/1990797 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, constrain, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/constrain/definitions/1990797>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "constrain" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/constrain/definitions/1990797> |