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constraints

 - 4 dictionary results

con·straint

   [kuhn-streynt]
–noun
1.
limitation or restriction.
2.
repression of natural feelings and impulses: to practice constraint.
3.
unnatural restraint in manner, conversation, etc.; embarrassment.
4.
something that constrains.
5.
the act of constraining.
6.
the condition of being constrained.
7.
Linguistics. a restriction on the operation of a linguistic rule or the occurrence of a linguistic construction.
Use constraints in a Sentence
Origin:
1350–1400; ME constreinte < MF, n. use of fem. ptp. of constreindre; see constrain

—Related forms
non·con·straint, noun

—Synonyms
1. force, obligation, pressure.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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Word Origin & History

constraint
late 14c., "distress, oppression," from O.Fr. constreinte (Mod.Fr. contrainte), fem. noun from constreint, pp. of constreindre, from V.L. *constrinctus, from L. constrictus (see constrain). Meaning "coercion, compulsion" is from 1530s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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con·straint   (kən-strānt')   
n.  

  1. The threat or use of force to prevent, restrict, or dictate the action or thought of others.

  2. The state of being restricted or confined within prescribed bounds: soon tired of the constraint of military life.

  3. One that restricts, limits, or regulates; a check: ignored all moral constraints in his pursuit of success.

  4. Embarrassed reserve or reticence; awkwardness: "All constraint had vanished between the two, and they began to talk" (Edith Wharton).


[Middle English constreinte, from Old French, from feminine past participle of constraindre, to constrain; see constrain.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Computing Dictionary

CONSTRAINTS
A language for solving constraints using value inference.
["CONSTRAINTS: A Language for Expressing Almost-Hierarchical Descriptions", G.J. Sussman et al, Artif Intell 14(1):1-39 (Aug 1980)].
(1994-11-01)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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