confine

1 of 2

noun

con·​fine ˈkän-ˌfīn How to pronounce confine (audio)
also
kən-ˈfīn How to pronounce confine (audio)
1
confines plural
a
: something (such as borders or walls) that encloses
outside the confines of the office or hospitalW. A. Nolen
also : something that restrains
escape from the confines of soot and clutter E. S. Muskie
b
: scope sense 3
work within the confines of a small groupFrank Newman
2
a
archaic : restriction
b
obsolete : prison

confine

2 of 2

verb

con·​fine kən-ˈfīn How to pronounce confine (audio)
confined; confining

transitive verb

1
a
: to hold within a location
Dikes confined the floodwaters.
b
2
: to keep within limits
will confine my remarks to one subject
confiner noun
Choose the Right Synonym for confine

limit, restrict, circumscribe, confine mean to set bounds for.

limit implies setting a point or line (as in time, space, speed, or degree) beyond which something cannot or is not permitted to go.

visits are limited to 30 minutes

restrict suggests a narrowing or tightening or restraining within or as if within an encircling boundary.

laws intended to restrict the freedom of the press

circumscribe stresses a restriction on all sides and by clearly defined boundaries.

the work of the investigating committee was carefully circumscribed

confine suggests severe restraint and a resulting cramping, fettering, or hampering.

our choices were confined by finances

Examples of confine in a Sentence

Verb will confine my remarks to the subject we came here to discuss the accused was confined until the trial could take place
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Within the confines of a modest 38mm white gold case, Hermès employs traditional enamel work along with the application of silk threads and colorful leather marquetry in this truly one-of-a-kind design. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 The great players still came, despite the cozy confines. Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Sacramento six-string jazz fixture and noted everywhere-man Ross Hammond just fired up a delectable new free afternoon Sunday Jazz series, debuting over President’s Day weekend, at the cozy confines of Old Soul 40 Acres on Broadway in Oak Park (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Aaron Davis, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2024 This evolutionary step, subtly integrated by technologies like Vision Pro, signals a move toward more personalized and contextually rich experiences within the familiar confines of viewers' existing environments. Nate Lorenzen, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Hamaguchi-san saw the potential to expand the scope and breadth of magical elements in Rebirth, afforded to him by simply moving past the confines of an urban setting. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 But that is also its downfall as people fall into the trap of thinking a hurricane's winds, storm surge and flooding rain will fit neatly inside the confines of the fuzzy white funnel, and that the tropical cyclone will track down the middle. The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 These take the form of painful, protracted firsthand recollections of bloodshed and desolation, from stories of buildings destroyed by artillery shells, to accounts of mothers and grandmothers forced to step up from behind the confines of femininity and social expectation. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Feb. 2024 Stuck within the confines of Midgar, the game played out in straightforward chapters with a handful of missions in larger areas, but lacked the open world most RPGs relish. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
It can be localized (confined to one area) or diffuse (spread out). Jenny Sweigard, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024 Patients should plan to rest a lot after the procedure, which is why many men opt to schedule it when they can be confined to the couch to watch March Madness. Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 First, currently the evidence supportive of positive indirect effects, such as cardiovascular risk reduction, is confined to a select group of patients with severe preexisting cardiovascular risks in addition to high BMI. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 When ads were confined to banners in the corners of websites, most of us booted up our computers to surf the web for a few hours at a time. Kate Lindsay, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2024 Flaco’s New York sojourn was confined to Manhattan, but his fans were all over. Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 In recent years, the pair that was once confined to the world of children’s literature crossed into the realm of pop culture. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 The Biden administration also sought to confine China by weaving a web of democratic ties around the country. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Crew member tension Being confined with a small group of people for a long period of time can lead to tension and interpersonal strife. Nick Kanas, The Conversation, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English confynyes, borrowed from Latin confīnia, plural of confīnium "common boundary, limit, border," from confīnis "having a common boundary" (from con- con- + -fīnis, adjective derivative of fīnis "boundary, limit, ending") + -ium, suffix of compounded nouns — more at final entry 1

Verb

borrowed from Middle French confiner "to be adjacent, restrain within limits," probably borrowed from Italian confinare, derivative of confine "boundary line, limit," noun derivative from neuter of Latin confīnis "having a common boundary" — more at confine entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1523, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of confine was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near confine

Cite this Entry

“Confine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confine. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

confine

verb
con·​fine
kən-ˈfīn
confined; confining
1
: to keep within limits : restrict
confined the message to twenty words
2
a
: to shut up : imprison
confined for life
b
: to keep indoors
confined with a cold
confinement
kən-ˈfīn-mənt
noun
confiner noun

Medical Definition

confine

transitive verb
con·​fine kən-ˈfīn How to pronounce confine (audio)
confined; confining
: to keep from leaving accustomed quarters (as one's room or bed) under pressure of infirmity, childbirth, or detention

Legal Definition

confine

transitive verb
con·​fine
confined; confining
: to hold within a location
specifically : imprison

More from Merriam-Webster on confine

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