SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
restraint
noun
Control over one's impulses, or a limit placed on an action.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Control of impulses
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topRestraint limits expression or action. Composure concerns calmness, and discretion concerns sound judgment about what is appropriate.
Limit on action
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topA restraint limits freedom or action. A prohibition forbids something outright, while a barrier may make it difficult without formally forbidding it.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See restraint in use
He showed restraint by waiting until the speaker had finished.
The center later chose to rescind an earlier permission to store crates in a corridor after discovering a conflict with another scheduled activity. The exhibition chair questioned the propriety of announcing the change in a public message before informing the artists whose deliveries were affected. She nevertheless exercised restraint in her reply, asking for a practical alternative instead of accusing the staff of deliberately obstructing the event.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license