Restraint
/rɪˈstreɪnt/noun
The act of restraining, or the condition of being restrained; self-control or limitation.
Did you know?The word comes through Old French from Latin *restringere*, literally “to bind back” or “draw tight,” and its older relatives are tied to the same root that gives English words like *string* and *strict*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*streig-
“to draw tight, bind, or tighten”
Latin
Latin
restringere
“to bind back, draw tight again; to restrict”
Old French
Old French
restreindre
“to restrain, check, hold back”
Middle English
English
restreynte
“restraint, control, limitation”
Modern English
English
restraint
“the act of holding back or limiting; self-control”