confine

[ kuhn-fahyn kon-fahyn ]

verb (used with object)

, con·fined, con·fin·ing.

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

Derived Forms

• ˈconfineless, adjective
• conˈfinable, adjective
• conˈfiner, noun

Other Words From

• 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) preconfined preconfining
• quasi-con·fining adjective
• recon·fine verb (used with object) reconfined reconfining
• self-con·fining adjective
• uncon·fina·ble adjective
• uncon·fining 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

Together, farms like these confine over 1.7 billion farm animals in large buildings or feedlots and produce 941 billion pounds of manure, according to a report by Food and Water Watch.

From Salon

Pacino would confine his junkie life to the screen, in his 1971 breakout performance in “The Panic in Needle Park.”

From Los Angeles Times

Hall advised residents to be cognizant of the hot weather and avoid outdoor activity, or confine their activity to the early morning hours.

From Los Angeles Times

They would also be required to confine cats on heat.

From BBC

"People with disabilities are not a punchline. Mobility aids like walkers, canes and wheelchairs are not prisons that confine us or barriers that limit us. They are not a sign of weakness, but of strength."

From Salon

Related Words

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