1
2
: placed under legal or moral restraint or obligation : obliged
duty-bound
3
of a book
: secured to the covers by cords, tapes, or glue
leather-bound
4
: determined, resolved
was bound and determined to have his way
5
: held in chemical or physical combination
6
: made costive (see costive sense 1a) : constipated
7
: always occurring in combination with another linguistic form
un- in unknown and -er in speaker are bound forms
compare free entry 1 sense 11d
bound
2 of 7past tense and past participle of bind
plural bounds
bounded; bounding; bounds
1
: to move by leaping
deer bounding across a field
She bounded down the stairs.
plural bounds
1
a
: a limiting line : boundary
—usually used in plural
The ball landed out of bounds.
b
: something that limits or restrains
beyond the bounds of decency
police officers overstepping their bound
2
3
mathematics
: a number greater than or equal to every number in a set (such as the range of a function)
also
: a number less than or equal to every number in a set
bounded; bounding; bounds
1
2
: to set limits to : confine
art … is always greater than the rules with which we may attempt to bound it—
C. S. Kilby
C. S. Kilby3
: to name the boundaries of
Students were asked to bound their state.
Synonyms
Adjective (1)
- bent (on or upon)
- decisive
- determined
- do-or-die
- firm
- hell-bent (on or upon)
- intent
- out
- purposeful
- resolute
- resolved
- set
- single-minded
Noun (1)
Verb (1)
Noun (2)
Verb
Examples of bound in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
I am bound and determined to write a novel before I turn 30
Noun (1)
the kangaroo took one giant bound and was gone
Verb (1)
the child giggled and bounded off to play with her friends
a rabbit bounded down the garden path
Noun (2)
the language in the novel really is beyond the bounds of decency
colored outside the bounds of the drawing
Verb
the country is bounded by water on two sides
being bounded on all sides by the Alps has helped Switzerland maintain its neutrality
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
However, the intervening years did see improvements to the lower bound.
—Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025
Clare Duffy, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
Does their chemistry test the bounds of professionalism?
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025
That district mostly lies east of Calumet Road and is bounded to the north by Indian Boundary Road and the Indiana Toll Road to the south.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bound 
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.
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Adjective
This amount of warming is a lower bound for what is expected by the end of the century, as the world is currently on course for upwards of 3°C (5.4°F) of warming.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
However, the intervening years did see improvements to the lower bound.
—Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
Technically, the proposal could work under the bounds of the sell-or-ban law passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress and signed into law last year by former President Joe Biden.
—Clare Duffy, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
Does their chemistry test the bounds of professionalism?
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Verb
However, La Jolla’s unique topography — bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and canyons to the east — doesn’t leave a lot ways in or out, and several involve taking the often-congested Torrey Pines Road.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025
That district mostly lies east of Calumet Road and is bounded to the north by Indian Boundary Road and the Indiana Toll Road to the south.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bound
Dictionary Entries Near bound
Cite this Entry
“Bound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bound. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bound
1 of 7 adjective
: going or intending to go
bound for home
college-bound
bound
2 of 7 noun1
: a boundary line
2
: a point or line beyond which one cannot go : limit
out of bounds
3
: the land within a boundary
—usually used in plural
bound
4 of 7past and past participle of bind
bound
5 of 7 adjective1
: fastened by or as if by bands : confined
desk-bound
2
: required by law or duty
3
: having a binding
bound notebook
4
: firmly determined
we were bound we would succeed
6
: always found in combination with another word or word part (as un- in unknown and -er in speaker)
bound
6 of 7 noun1
: a long easy leap
bound
7 of 7 verb1
: to move by leaping
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English boun "ready"; of Norse origin
Noun
Middle English bound "boundary," from early French bodne (same meaning), from Latin bodina "boundary"
Adjective
Middle English bounden "fastened, tied," from binden "bind"
Noun
from early French bond "a leap," from bondir "to leap"
Medical Definition
bound
adjective1
: made costive : constipated
2
: held in chemical or physical combination
bound water in a molecule
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