Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: constrainte, from constraindre; CONSTRAIN

constraint

 noun
     
con‧straint W3
1 [countable] something that limits your freedom to do what you want [= restriction]
constraint on
Constraints on spending have forced the company to rethink its plans.
the constraints of family life
financial/environmental/political etc constraints
There have been financial and political constraints on development.
impose/place constraints on somebody/something
constraints imposed on teachers by large class sizes
2 [uncountable] control over the way people are allowed to behave, so that they cannot do what they want:
freedom from constraint
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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