confine

[kuhn-fahyn, kon-fahyn]

verb (used with object)

confined, confining 

1. to enclose within bounds; limit or restrict.

   She confined her remarks to errors in the report. Confine your efforts to finishing the book.

   Synonyms: circumscribe
   Antonyms: free

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.

   Antonyms: free

noun

1. Usually confines. a boundary or bound; limit; border; frontier.

2. Often confines. region; territory.

3. Archaic.,  confinement.

4. Obsolete.,  a place of confinement; prison.

confine

verb

1. to keep or close within bounds; limit; restrict

2. to keep shut in; restrict the free movement of

   arthritis confined him to bed

noun

1. (often plural) a limit; boundary

Other Word Forms

• confineless adjective
• confinable adjective
• confiner noun
• confineable adjective
• nonconfining adjective
• preconfine verb (used with object)
• quasi-confining adjective
• reconfine verb (used with object)
• self-confining adjective
• unconfinable adjective
• unconfining adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of confine¹

1350–1400 for noun; 1515–25 for v.; (noun) Middle English < Middle French confins, confines < Medieval Latin confinia, plural of Latin confinis boundary, border ( con-, fine ² ); (v.) < Middle French confiner, verbal derivative of confins < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of confine¹

C16: from Medieval Latin confīnāre from Latin confīnis adjacent, from fīnis end, boundary

Example Sentences

"I wish I could not hear it, but in such a confined space it is next to impossible not to hear it."

From BBC

Collier refused and has been confined to the capital since.

From Salon

We were confined to a small clearing, marked off by red and white tape.

From BBC

In the assessment, the neighborhood was described as “a menace to this whole section,” noting “pressure is being exerted to confine the population and keep it from infiltrating into other districts.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It is within the confines of the Witkoff plan... It's a continuation of that process. Obviously, it's in the details where the devil lies."

From BBC

Related Words

• constrain 
• detain 
• hinder 
• imprison 
• incarcerate 
• jail 
• restrain 
• restrict