straitened

[ streyt-nd ]

adjective

1. characterized by financial difficulty or limited means:

   His early death left his widow and five young children in straitened circumstances.

2. restricted or limited; narrow or confining:

   She released her album on the Internet as a way of avoiding the “straitened formats” of radio and TV, she said.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of straiten.

Word History and Origins

Origin of straitened¹

First recorded in 1520–30 straitened fordef 3; in 1600–10 straitened fordefs 1, 2; straiten ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; straiten ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Such straitened times are simply ghastly, as fans of Downton will know.

From The Daily Beast

Its individual countries will survive, of course, albeit in unnecessarily straitened circumstances.

From The Daily Beast

Even in straitened times, idiosyncratic literature should have its place.

From The Daily Beast

For the bed is straitened, so that one must fall out, and a short covering cannot cover both.

From Project Gutenberg

And I cut off three shepherds in one month, and my soul was straitened in their regard: for their soul also varied in my regard.

From Project Gutenberg

During the first years of his life the parents may have lived in somewhat straitened circumstances.

From Project Gutenberg

Both besiegers and besieged were now becoming straitened for ammunition, for the consumption had been immense.

From Project Gutenberg

Carlyle still remained in straitened circumstances, although his reputation was now established.

From Project Gutenberg