confine
kuhn-FYN
Confine (verb) means to keep someone or something within certain limits or a restricted space. Example: “The patient was confined to bed for a week.”
verb
1
To keep someone or something within certain limits or a restricted space.
"The patient was confined to bed for a week."
"Please confine your comments to the topic at hand."
How to use confine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo restrict something or someone to a limited space, scope, or set of boundaries.
Common pairings
confined to a room
confine yourself to
confined space
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Word forms
- Plural
- confines
- Third person singular
- confines
- Past tense
- confined
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The patient was _____ to bed for a week.
Etymology
From Middle French confiner, from Latin confīnis, "bordering" — from con- + fīnis ("boundary, end").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for confine
See all rhymes for confine →Frequently asked questions
What does “confine” mean?
The word “confine” means to keep someone or something within certain limits or a restricted space. In plain terms, to restrict something or someone to a limited space, scope, or set of boundaries.
How do you pronounce “confine”?
“Confine” is pronounced kuhn-FYN (/kənˈfaɪn/ in IPA).
How do you use “confine” in a sentence?
Here is “confine” used in a sentence: “The patient was confined to bed for a week.”
What part of speech is “confine”?
“Confine” is a verb.
Where does the word “confine” come from?
The word “confine” comes from Latin. From Middle French confiner, from Latin confīnis, "bordering" — from con- + fīnis ("boundary, end").
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