constraint vs. restraint
Дата публикации: Feb 10, 2017 6:35:36 PM
Comparison
=> самая показательная разница между прилагательными (натянутая(вынужденная) улыбка vs. сдерживаемая(спрятанная) улыбка), см. выше.
Question: 'Constrain' and 'restrain'
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/constrain-and-restrain
Answer:
A reader has written "I've read the definitions for constrain and restrain but am still having difficulty knowing when to use which word. Can you help?"
Editor Paul Wood responds:
There is some overlap in the meaning of the two words.
Both can be used in the senses of holding something back by force or of limiting or restricting one's actions.
Restrain is used more in the sense of preventing an action:
Congress must restrain spending next year.
The man turned violent and it took four officers to restrain him.
I wanted more dessert, but I restrained myself.
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Constrain is used more in the sense of placing limits, restrictions, or controls on an action:
The beauty of our sport is that there are hardly any rules to constrain you.
Industry regulations must not constrain innovation.
The police hope to impose order and constrain violence.
In actual usage, this distinction may not be very significant to the overall meaning of the context in which the words appear.
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I think modern incorrect usage of words in America constrains us to conclude that "constrain" is synonymous with "restrain" when in fact they are antonyms. I would submit that we should restrain from using "constrain", which means to compel or force to an action, when we really mean "restrain", which is to compel to or force inaction.
OLD Synonyms
limit restriction control constraint restraint limitation
These are all words for something that limits what you can do or what can happen.
limit the greatest or smallest amount of something that is allowed:
The EU has set strict limits on pollution levels. the speed limit
restriction (rather formal) a rule or law that limits what you can do:
There are no restrictions on the amount of money you can withdraw.
control (often in compounds) the act of limiting or managing something; a method of doing this:
arms control
constraint (rather formal) a fact or decision that limits what you can do:
We have to work within severe constraints of time and money.
restraint (rather formal) a decision, a rule, an idea, etc. that limits what you can do; the act of limiting something because it is necessary or sensible to do so:
The government has imposed export restraints on some products. The unions are unlikely to accept any sort of wage restraint.
limitation the act or process of limiting something; a rule, fact or condition that limits something:
They would resist any limitation of their powers.
restriction, constraint, restraint or limitation?
These are all things that limit what you can do.
A restriction is rule or law that is made by somebody in authority.
A constraint is something that exists rather than something that is made, although it may exist as a result of somebody’s decision.
A restraint is also something that exists: it can exist outside yourself, as the result of somebody else’s decision; but it can also exist inside you, as a fear of what other people may think or as your own feeling about what is acceptable:moral/social/cultural restraints.
A limitation is more general and can be a rule that somebody makes or a fact or condition that exists.
Patterns
limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations on something
limits/limitations to something
severe limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations
tight limits/restrictions/controls/constraints
to impose/remove limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations
to lift restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints
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The words are almost identical in meaning. Restrain means hold back from behind, constrain means hold back by setting barriers in the way ahead. A dog on a leash is restrained, a dog in a cage is constrained. (Wordreference.com)
