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From Middle English restriccioun, from Anglo-Norman restriction, Middle French restriction, and their source, Late Latin restrictiō, from Latin restringō.

Morphologically restrict +‎ -ion.

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɪkʃən
• Hyphenation: re‧stric‧tion

restriction (countable and uncountable, plural restrictions)

1. The act of restricting, or the state of being restricted.
   • 2013 June 25, Chris Kluwe, “A Bit of Strained Groin and a Dash of Trick Knee”, in Slate‎^[1], archived from the original on 14 April 2019:

     A surge of tight restriction emanates from the locale as tense muscles quiver like overtuned violin strings, and the feeling of shifting the kneecap back in place is very similar to cracking a knuckle (and in fact can produce an audible pop, adding a delightful aural component to the mix).

2. A regulation or limitation that restricts.
   • 1835, Thomas Stephen, “The Rise, Progress, and Gradual Improvement of the Laws of England”, in The Book of the Constitution of Great Britain: […], Glasgow; Edinburgh: Blackie & Son, […]; Dublin: W. Curry, Jun., & Co.; London: Simpkin & Marshall, →OCLC, pages 275–276:

     In the year 1819, Sir Robert Peel brought in a bill, and which finally passed both houses, and received the royal assent on the 2nd July, for continuing the restrictions contained in several acts of parliament, on payments in cash by the bank of England, until the 1st day of May, 1823, and to provide for the gradual resumption of cash payments: [...] VIII. After the first day of May, 1822, the bank of England, if they shall think fit, may pay or exchange the lawful coin of the realm, for any of their own notes, payable on demand.

   • 2026 March 20, “US judge blocks Pentagon’s restrictions on press after New York Times lawsuit”, in The Guardian‎^[2], archived from the original on 21 March 2026:

     In its lawsuit, the Times said the policy unlawfully restricts essential newsgathering techniques and gives the Pentagon “unfettered” discretion to revoke passes, permitting it to impose the type of “viewpoint-based” press restrictions forbidden by the constitution.

3. (biology) The mechanism by which a cell degrades foreign DNA material.
   • 2015 July 23, “Phylogeny of Kinorhyncha Based on Morphology and Two Molecular Loci”, in PLOS ONE‎^[3], →DOI:

     Echinorhagata is likewise supported by typical echinoderid autapomorphies, inclusive the number of trichoscalids that is reduced from 14 to 6; restriction of lateral accessory spines to females only; and an apparent restriction of the middorsal spines to appear only on segments 4 to 8.

• It is often used with the preposition "on", i.e., "restriction on something".

• restrict
• restrain
• restraint
• constriction

• tortricines

Inherited from Middle French restriction, from Old French restriction, borrowed from Late Latin restrictiōnem, from Latin restringō.

• IPA^(key): /ʁɛs.tʁik.sjɔ̃/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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restriction f (plural restrictions)

1. restriction (limitation; constraint)

• restreindre
• restreint

• “restriction”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Borrowed from Late Latin restrictio, restrictionem, from Latin restringo.

• IPA^(key): /rɛstɾikˈt͡sjun/

restriction oblique singular, f (oblique plural restrictions, nominative singular restriction, nominative plural restrictions)

1. restriction (limitation; constraint)

• restreindre

• English: restriction
• French: restriction

• restriction on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub