Definition of RESTRICTIVE
of or relating to restriction; serving or tending to restrict; limiting the reference of a modified word or phrase… See the full definition
restrictive
Save Word
re·stric·tive
|
Definition of
restrictive
1
a
:
of or relating to
restriction
b
:
serving or tending to
restrict
restrictive
regulations
2
:
limiting the reference of a modified word or phrase
3
:
prohibiting further negotiation
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from
restrictive
restrictive
noun
restrictively
adverb
restrictiveness
noun
Did You Know?
Restrictive covenants (that is, agreements) in real-estate deeds were once used to forbid the buyer from ever selling the property to anyone of another race. These are now illegal, though other kinds of restrictive covenants are very common; in some neighborhoods, they may even tell you what colors you can’t paint your house. In grammar, a restrictive clause is one that limits the meaning of something that comes before it. In the sentence “That’s the professor who I’m trying to avoid”, “who I’m trying to avoid” is a restrictive clause, since it’s what identifies the professor. But in the sentence “That’s my History professor, who I’m trying to avoid”, the same clause is
nonrestrictive
, since the professor has already been identified as “my History professor”. There should always be a comma before a nonrestrictive clause, but not before a restrictive clause.
Examples of
restrictive
in a Sentence
In the sentence “The book that you ordered is out of print,” “that you ordered” is a
restrictive clause
.
Recent Examples on the Web
Counties must record two straight weeks of qualifying data to advance to a less
restrictive
tier and have to stay in a tier at least three weeks before moving again.
—
Luke Money,
Los Angeles Times
, “Santa Barbara County among 5 joining orange tier as California’s reopening continues,” 20 Apr. 2021
The decision was announced Thursday, March 24, when Santa Clara County moved into the less
restrictive
orange tier — now joining San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo counties.
—
Chronicle Staff,
San Francisco Chronicle
, “Coronavirus news from the Bay Area: March 25-31, 2021,” 11 Apr. 2021
Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, North Carolina, and South Carolina were moved down to the less
restrictive
tier.
—
Mica Soellner,
Washington Examiner
, “Chicago to put travel procedures on four states and DC over rise in COVID-19 cases,” 6 Apr. 2021
Los Angeles County, currently in the red tier, is eligible to enter the less
restrictive
orange tier.
—
Kimi Robinson,
The Arizona Republic
, “Universal Studios Hollywood is reopening. Here’s why Arizonans can’t buy tickets for now,” 1 Apr. 2021
In California, 13 counties are moving to a less
restrictive
tier, state health officials said Tuesday.
—
Christina Maxouris,
CNN
, “A dangerous coronavirus variant is wreaking havoc in parts of Europe. Experts fear US could be next,” 31 Mar. 2021
San Francisco, Marin and Santa Clara counties were among those moving to less
restrictive
tiers in the state’s four-level system.
—
From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports,
USA TODAY
, “Underground proms, popcorn problems, lobster relief: News from around our 50 states,” 25 Mar. 2021
Those numbers place the county on the cusp of the less
restrictive
red tier of COVID-19 restrictions, which would allow more schools and businesses to reopen.
—
Deborah Sullivan Brennan,
San Diego Union-Tribune
, “Candidates for 79th Assembly District weigh in on pandemic response and recovery,” 13 Mar. 2021
How do Bay Area counties move from the purple tier to even less
restrictive
tiers?
—
Jessica Flores,
SFChronicle.com
, “What comes next for Bay Area’s reopening? Here’s what you need to know,” 25 Jan. 2021
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘restrictive.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
.
See More
First Known Use of
restrictive
1579, in the meaning defined at
sense 1a
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about
restrictive
Statistics for
restrictive
Last Updated
25 Apr 2021
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Restrictive.”
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary
, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restrictive. Accessed 1 May. 2021.
Style:
MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Keep scrolling for more
More from Merriam-Webster on
restrictive
Nglish:
Translation of
restrictive
for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English:
Translation of
restrictive
for Arabic Speakers
Comments on
restrictive
What made you want to look up
restrictive
? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).