restrictive
adjective
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
Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2025
Let go of restrictive structures as Uranus stations direct.
—USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
Research shows that restrictive eaters and chronic dieters are more likely to overeat highly palatable foods, like sweets.16
Some studies also show that a more flexible dieting approach may be more effective for weight loss.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 27 Jan. 2025
Some people already live in these areas, but only because their buildings went up before the restrictive zoning currently in place was implemented in the mid-20th century.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for restrictive 
Articles Related to restrictive
Dictionary Entries Near restrictive
Cite this Entry
“Restrictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restrictive. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
restrictive
adjective
Legal Definition
restrictive
adjective
Share