confine

1 of 3

noun (1)

con·​fine ˈkän-ˌfīn How to pronounce confine (audio)
also
kən-ˈfīn How to pronounce confine (audio)
Synonyms of confine
1
confines plural
a
: something (such as borders or walls) that encloses
… outside the confines of the office or hospital …—W. A. Nolen
also : something that restrains
… escape from the confines of soot and clutter … —E. S. Muskie
b
: scope sense 3
… work within the confines of a small group.—Frank Newman
2
a
archaic : restriction
b
obsolete : prison

confine

2 of 3

verb

con·​fine kən-ˈfīn How to pronounce confine (audio)
confined; confining

intransitive verb

archaic : border

transitive verb

1
a
: to hold within a location
Dikes confined the floodwaters.
b
: imprison
2
: to keep within limits
will confine my remarks to one subject
confiner noun

confiner

3 of 3

noun (2)

con·​fin·​er
kən-ˈfī-nər
plural -s
obsolete
: one that lives on or within the confines : neighbor, inhabitant

Synonyms of confine

Relevance

Noun (1)

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for confine

limit, restrict, circumscribe, confine mean to set bounds for.

limit implies setting a point or line (as in time, space, speed, or degree) beyond which something cannot or is not permitted to go.

visits are limited to 30 minutes

restrict suggests a narrowing or tightening or restraining within or as if within an encircling boundary.

laws intended to restrict the freedom of the press

circumscribe stresses a restriction on all sides and by clearly defined boundaries.

the work of the investigating committee was carefully circumscribed

confine suggests severe restraint and a resulting cramping, fettering, or hampering.

our choices were confined by finances

Examples of confine in a Sentence

Noun (1) within the confines of the city outside the confines of the school walls that's beyond the confines of my power as dean of the college Verb will confine my remarks to the subject we came here to discuss the accused was confined until the trial could take place
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In fact, the main victims of these laws are liberal Muslims trying to escape the confines of their community and enjoy Western freedoms. — Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Yet after the apparent death of Captain Crewe in World War I, Sara’s headmistress confines the now-penniless child in the school’s attic. — Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Prior to her arrival, the film is confined largely to the claustrophobic rented California beach bungalow where Fielder and the documentary team spend time with Holmes, her husband, and their children. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026 Not one confined to a single house, summit, or handful of world leaders. — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confine

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English confynyes, borrowed from Latin confīnia, plural of confīnium "common boundary, limit, border," from confīnis "having a common boundary" (from con- con- + -fīnis, adjective derivative of fīnis "boundary, limit, ending") + -ium, suffix of compounded nouns — more at final entry 1

Verb

borrowed from Middle French confiner "to be adjacent, restrain within limits," probably borrowed from Italian confinare, derivative of confine "boundary line, limit," noun derivative from neuter of Latin confīnis "having a common boundary" — more at confine entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1523, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of confine was in the 15th century

Rhymes for confine

See All Rhymes for confine

Browse Nearby Words

configure
confine
confined
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confine. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

confine

verb
con·​fine
kən-ˈfīn
confined; confining
1
: to keep within limits : restrict
confined the message to twenty words
2
a
: to shut up : imprison
confined for life
b
: to keep indoors
confined with a cold
confinement
kən-ˈfīn-mənt
noun
confiner noun

Medical Definition

confine

transitive verb
con·​fine kən-ˈfīn How to pronounce confine (audio)
confined; confining
: to keep from leaving accustomed quarters (as one's room or bed) under pressure of infirmity, childbirth, or detention

Legal Definition

confine

transitive verb
con·​fine
confined; confining
: to hold within a location
specifically : imprison
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