confine
Use Confine in a sentence
faɪn verb (used with object)
1.
to enclose within bounds; limit or restrict: She confined her remarks to errors in the report. Confine your efforts to finishing the book.
2.
to shut or keep in; prevent from leaving a place because of imprisonment, illness, discipline, etc.: For that offense he was confined to quarters for 30 days.
noun
3.
Usually, confines. a boundary or bound; limit; border; frontier.
4.
Often, confines. region; territory.
5.
Archaic. confinement.
6.
Obsolete. a place of confinement; prison.
00:10
Confine
is one of our favorite verbs.
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| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to bark; yelp. |
Origin:
1350–1400 for noun; 1515–25 for v.; (noun) Middle English < Middle French confins, confines < Medieval Latin confinia, plural of Latin confinis boundary, border (see con-, fine2); (v.) < Middle French confiner, verbal derivative of confins < Latin, as above
1350–1400 for noun; 1515–25 for v.; (noun) Middle English < Middle French confins, confines < Medieval Latin confinia, plural of Latin confinis boundary, border (see con-, fine2); (v.) < Middle French confiner, verbal derivative of confins < Latin, as above
Related forms
con·fin·a·ble, con·fine·a·ble, adjective
con·fine·less, adjective
con·fin·er, noun
non·con·fin·ing, adjective
pre·con·fine, verb (used with object), pre·con·fined, pre·con·fin·ing.
qua·si-con·fin·ing, adjective
re·con·fine, verb (used with object), re·con·fined, re·con·fin·ing.
self-con·fin·ing, adjective
un·con·fin·a·ble, adjective
un·con·fin·ing, adjective
Synonyms
1. circumscribe.
1. circumscribe.
Antonyms
1, 2. free.
1, 2. free.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To confine
Collins
World English Dictionary
| confine | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to keep or close within bounds; limit; restrict |
| 2. | to keep shut in; restrict the free movement of: arthritis confined him to bed |
| —n | |
| 3. | (often plural) a limit; boundary |
| [C16: from Medieval Latin confīnāre from Latin confīnis adjacent, from fīnis end, boundary] | |
| con'finable | |
| —adj | |
| con'fineable | |
| —adj | |
| 'confineless | |
| —adj | |
| con'finer | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
confine
c.1400, from L. confinium (pl. confinia) "boundary, limit," from confine, neut. of confinis "bordering on," from com- "with" + finis "an end" (see finish). The noun is older in Eng.; verb sense of "keeping within limits" is from 1595.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
Example sentences
If you wish to discuss these issues you should read scholarly works on the subject or confine your discussions to the bar.
Please confine yourself to discussions of the topic at hand.
She will not even confine it to the housetop, but will bear it in procession along the thoroughfare.
Gangs that used to confine themselves to the drugs trade are branching out into robbery, extortion, and kidnapping.
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