constraint
nounCA, US, UK /kənˈstɹeɪnt/ · AU, NZ /kənˈstɹæɪnt/
Etymology From Middle English constreynt, constreynte, from Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre (“to constrain”), from Latin cōnstringō (corresponding to the past participle cōnstrictus).
1
Something that constrains; a restriction.
- An engineer must recognize the difference between a constraint (to work within) and a problem (to be eliminated via resolution).
- Today’s electricity demand (65 EJ/a) is well covered by the range, but constraints may occur in the long run locally. Amongst large countries, Nigeria and India may need imports to meet electricity demand.2015, Quantifying a realistic:
2
An irresistible force or compulsion.
- They confessed, but only under severe constraint.
3
The repression of one's feelings.
- Although his blood so rose against this man, and his wrath so stirred within him, that he could have struck him dead, he put such fierce constraint upon himself that he passed him without a word or look. Yes, and he would have gone on, and not turned, though to resist the Devil who poured such hot temptation in his brain, required an effort scarcely to be achieved, if this man had not himself summoned him to stop1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. (please specify the chapter number)”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:
4
Mathematics, Sciences A condition that a solution to an optimization problem must satisfy.
5
Computing, Databases, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A linkage or other restriction that maintains database integrity.
- Derived terms
- budget constraint, constraint cluster, constrainted, constraintive, constraintless, constraint logic programming, constraint satisfaction, Hamiltonian constraint, holonomic constraint, integrity constraint, liquidity constraint, markedness constraint, metaconstraint, multiconstraint, nonconstraint, subconstraint, theory of constraints, time constraint, unconstraint, unconstrainted