First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1confine
noun con·fine \ˈkän-ˌfīn also kən-ˈ\
Definition of CONFINE
1
plural a : something (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 3 <work within the confines of a small group — Frank Newman>
2
a archaic : restriction b obsolete : prison
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Origin of CONFINE
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French confines, plural, from Latin confine border, from neuter of confinis adjacent, from com- + finis end
2confine
verb con·fine \kən-ˈfīn\
: to keep (someone or something) within limits : to prevent (someone or something) from going beyond a particular limit, area, etc.
: to keep (a person or animal) in a place (such as a prison)
: to force or cause (someone) to stay in something (such as a bed or wheelchair)
con·finedcon·fin·ing
Full Definition of CONFINE
intransitive verb
archaic : border
transitive verb
1
a : to hold within a location b : imprison
2
: to keep within limits <will confine my remarks to one subject>
— con·fin·er noun
See confine defined for English-language learners
See confine defined for kids
First Known Use of CONFINE
1523
Synonym Discussion of 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>.
Rhymes with CONFINE
A-line, affine, airline, align, alkyne, alpine, assign, at sign, balkline, baseline, beeline, benign, bloodline, blue line, blush wine, bovine, bowline, branchline, breadline, bright-line, buntline, bustline, byline, call sign, canine, caprine, carbine, carmine, cervine, chow line, clothesline, cloud nine, coastline, combine, compline, condign, consign, corvine, cosign, cutline, dateline, deadline, decline, define, design, divine, dragline, driveline, earthshine, Einstein, eiswein, end line, enshrine, entwine, equine, ethyne, fall line, fault line, feline, ferine, first-line, flatline, flight line, foul line, fräulein, frontline, front line, goal line, gold mine, grapevine, guideline, hairline, hard-line, hard pine, headline, hemline, high sign, hipline, Holbein, hotline, ice wine, incline, indign, in fine, in-line, Irvine, jawline, jug wine, landline, land mine, lang syne, lifeline, load line, longline, lupine, mainline, main line, malign, midline, moline, moonshine, neckline, off-line, old-line, online, opine, outline, outshine, ovine, Pauline, peace sign, Petrine, pipeline, piscine, pitch pine, plotline, plumb line, plus sign, pontine, porcine, potline, pound sign, propine, punch line, rapine, recline, redline, red pine, refine, reline, repine, resign, Rhine wine, ridgeline, roofline, Sabine, saline, Scotch pine, scrub pine, setline, shoreline, short line, sideline, sight line, skyline, snow line, soft-line, spring line, straight-line, strandline, straw wine, streamline, strip mine, strychnine, subline, sunshine, supine, syncline, taurine, tie-line, times sign, topline, touchline, towline, tramline, trapline, tree line, trephine, trotline, truckline, trunk line, tumpline, turbine, untwine, ursine, vespine, V sign, vulpine, waistline, white line, white pine, white wine, woodbine, yard line, zebrine, Z line
CONFINES Defined for Kids
confine
verb con·fine \kən-ˈfīn\
con·finedcon·fin·ing
Definition of CONFINE for Kids
1
: to keep within limits <Her study of bears is confined to those in North America.>
2
: to shut up : imprison
3
: to keep indoors <She was confined by sickness.>
— con·fine·ment \-mənt\ noun
Word Root of CONFINE
The Latin word finis, meaning “end” or “boundary,” gives us the root fin. Words from the Latin finis have something to do with ends or limits. Something final, such as the last chapter in a book, is the ending one. To confine is to put limits or boundaries around something. To finish something is to come to its end. Something finite has limits and happens only for a certain amount of time or in a certain space before it ends.
Medical Dictionary
confine
transitive verb con·fine \kən-ˈfīn\
con·finedcon·fin·ing
Medical Definition of CONFINE
: to keep from leaving accustomed quarters (as one's room or bed) under pressure of infirmity, childbirth, or detention
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