CONSTRAINING | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary AI Assistant Dictionary Translate Grammar Thesaurus +Plus Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Games Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out {{userName}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out Log in / Sign up English (UK) 1 ? true : false } }), searchAutoComplete.changeToLayoutContainer(); tap:AMP.setState({ stateSearch: { autocomplete: stateSearch.dataset != 'wordlists' && stateSearch.term.length 1 } })" / English 1) ? '/autocomplete/amp?dataset=' + stateSearch.dataset + '&q=' + stateSearch.term : 'https://'" 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ? 'pa pdd chac-sb tc-bd bw hbr-20 hbss lpt-25' : 'hdn'" {{word}} {{#beta}} Beta{{/beta}} {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{^selected}} {{name}} {{/selected}} {{/preferredDictionaries}} Meaning of constraining in English constraining Add to word list Add to word list present participle of constrain constrain verb [ T often passive ] uk Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /kənˈstreɪn/ us Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /kənˈstreɪn/ C2 to control and limit something: The country's progress was constrained by a leader who refused to look forward. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Limiting and restricting anti-libertarian armlock boundary box someone out phrasal verb box someone/something in phrasal verb cripplingly crowd curb curtail curtailment keep (herself) to herself idiom limit limit something to something limitation limitative stranglehold stunt suffocatingly tempered tie someone down phrasal verb See more results » (Definition of constraining from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press) Examples of constraining constraining In English, many past and present participles of verbs can be used as adjectives. Some of these examples may show the adjective use. Another difference was that the context sensitive vowels and consonant items differed with respect to the constraining context. From the Cambridge English Corpus Our results confirm that value rationality dominates in the decision-making about unfamiliar and constraining instruments. From the Cambridge English Corpus On the one hand, structures influence labour market participants' intentions and actions by enabling and constraining them. From the Cambridge English Corpus Agents' intentions are distally caused by reasons, and reasons are distally caused by the enabling and constraining influences of structures. From the Cambridge English Corpus Constraining metrical theory : a modular theory of rhythm and destressing. From the Cambridge English Corpus The protocols mentioned above, besides constraining interactions, neglect the fact that the agents in an open distributed system might want to interact more than once. From the Cambridge English Corpus Counteracting the conduct-book-like prescriptions of their words, the performative force of the female voice undoes the drama and defies its constraining messages. From the Cambridge English Corpus It is of a piece with the challenge of ' 'constraining' ' over powerful grammars that has been a traditional goal. From the Cambridge English Corpus Thus, regional trading blocs are unlikely to be able to adopt comprehensive welfare packages or labour rules of a strongly constraining kind. From the Cambridge English Corpus These two groups do not disregard voluntary measures, but if they have a choice, they prefer more constraining ones, because they consider them more efficient. From the Cambridge English Corpus This is accomplished by constraining the gain parameters to be (small) constants. From the Cambridge English Corpus In the case of constraining boundary conditions boundary layer s appear in the outflow region, connecting the central current sheet to the prescribed boundary. From the Cambridge English Corpus However, these acts will occur within a framework of both enabling and constraining factors. From the Cambridge English Corpus Periodically this has facilitated the enactment of legislation, promoted by anti-party reformers, constraining parties. From the Cambridge English Corpus The "projection facility" amounts to constraining expectations to a compact set in the basin of attraction of a locally stable steady state. From the Cambridge English Corpus These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.   Browse constrain constrained constrained to do something phrase constrainedly constraining constraint constraint on someone/something constrict constricted {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}} More meanings of constraining All constrain See all meanings Word of the Day comfort zone UK Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ˈkʌm.fət ˌzəʊn/ US Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ˈkʌm.fɚt ˌzoʊn/ a situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested About this Blog Hitting the nail on the head: idioms with ‘hit’ July 22, 2026 Read More graduation creep" layout="responsive" graduation creep" class="lc1" / New Words graduation creep July 20, 2026 More new words has been added to list To top AI Assistant Contents EnglishExamples AI Assistant Facebook Instagram X © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2026 Learn Learn Learn New Words Help In Print Word of the Year 2021 Word of the Year 2022 Word of the Year 2023 Word of the Year 2024 Word of the Year 2025 Develop Develop Develop Dictionary API Double-Click Lookup Search Widgets License Data About About About Accessibility Cambridge English Cambridge University Press & Assessment Consent Management Cookies and Privacy Corpus Terms of Use AI Terms of Use Facebook Instagram X © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2026 {{#displayLoginPopup}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Learn more with +Plus Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content: Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans Sign up now or Log in Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Learn more with +Plus Create word lists and quizzes for free Sign up now or Log in {{/displayLoginPopup}} {{#displayClassicSurvey}} {{/displayClassicSurvey}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out AI Assistant Dictionary Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English Translations Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Bilingual Dictionaries English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English English–Danish Danish–English English–Dutch Dutch–English English–French French–English English–German German–English English–Indonesian Indonesian–English English–Italian Italian–English English–Japanese Japanese–English English–Norwegian Norwegian–English English–Polish Polish–English English–Portuguese Portuguese–English English–Spanish Spanish–English English–Swedish Swedish–English Semi-bilingual Dictionaries English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Gujarati English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Urdu English–Vietnamese Translate Grammar Thesaurus Pronunciation Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Games {{userName}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out Log in / Sign up English (UK)   Change English (UK) English (US) Español Português 中文 (简体) 正體中文 (繁體) Dansk Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt Svenska Українська 日本語 한국어 ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు বাঙ্গালি मराठी हिंदी Follow us Choose a dictionary Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}} Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation Translation Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Bilingual Dictionaries English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English English–Danish Danish–English English–Dutch Dutch–English English–French French–English English–German German–English English–Indonesian Indonesian–English English–Italian Italian–English English–Japanese Japanese–English English–Norwegian Norwegian–English English–Polish Polish–English English–Portuguese Portuguese–English English–Spanish Spanish–English English–Swedish Swedish–English Semi-bilingual Dictionaries English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Gujarati English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Urdu English–Vietnamese Dictionary +Plus Word Lists Choose your language English (UK)   English (US) Español Português 中文 (简体) 正體中文 (繁體) Dansk Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt Svenska Українська 日本語 한국어 ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు বাঙ্গালি मराठी हिंदी Contents English Verb Examples Grammar All translations My word lists To add constraining to a word list please sign up or log in. Sign up or Log in My word lists Add constraining to one of your lists below, or create a new one. {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}} {{message}} {{/message}} {{^message}} Something went wrong. {{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} 5 && !stateSidebarWordList.expended) ? 195 : (stateSidebarWordListItems.length * 39)" [src]="stateSidebarWordListItems" {{name}} 5 && !stateSidebarWordList.expended) ? 'hao hp lmt-25' : 'hdn'" More Go to your word lists {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}} {{message}} {{/message}} {{^message}} Something went wrong. {{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} Tell us about this example sentence: The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! Your feedback will be reviewed. {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}} {{message}} {{/message}} {{^message}} There was a problem sending your report. {{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! Your feedback will be reviewed. {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}} {{message}} {{/message}} {{^message}} There was a problem sending your report. {{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}}