n. 1. a. The act of restraining: police restraint of the suspect. b. The condition of being restrained, especially the condition of losing one's freedom: a suspect held in restraint. 2. a. An influence that inhibits or restrains: "If the enemy could be defined as radically evil, then the restraints of morality did not apply" (James Carroll). b. A device or other means of restraining movement: a child restraint in a car. 3. Control of the expression of one's feelings; constraint: cursed without restraint. [Middle English restreinte, from Old French restrainte, from feminine past participle of restraindre, to restrain; see RESTRAIN.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.