C2 [ C ] something that controls what you do by keeping you within particular limits限制;束缚;约束
The constraints of politeness wouldn't allow her to say what she really thought about his cooking.出于礼貌,她不会说出自己对他的厨艺的真实看法。
Financial constraints on the company are preventing them from employing new staff.公司财务紧张使得他们不能再聘请新员工。
[ U ] formal unnatural behaviour that is sometimes the result of forcing yourself to act in a particular way拘束;局促
She tried to appear friendly, but her constraint was obvious.她尽力显得友好,可是显然很拘束。
under constraint formal If you do something under constraint, you do it only because you have been forced to.被强迫地;迫于压力;在强制下
They confessed, but only under severe constraint.他们迫于巨大的压力才说出了真相。