confined

The word “confined” means kept within a small or restricted space; not free to move around. In plain terms, shut in or restricted, with little room to move or expand.

“Confined” is pronounced kuhn-FYND (/kənˈfaɪnd/ in IPA).

Here is “confined” used in a sentence: “He felt confined in the tiny apartment.”

“Confined” is an adjective.

“Confined” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Confined means kept within a small or restricted space and shares no root with confided, which means told a secret to someone in trust. The two words are often confused because they look and sound alike, but confined relates to physical or spatial restriction while confided relates to disclosure of information.

Confined on its own describes something restricted in a general sense, while confined to is followed by a specific place, condition, or scope, as in confined to bed or confined to one topic. The preposition to narrows the restriction to a particular boundary.

Yes, confined can describe a literal small space such as a confined room, or a figurative sense of feeling restricted or trapped, such as feeling confined by a strict schedule. In both uses it conveys a lack of freedom to move or expand.