restrictive
adjective
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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
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025
Once the need to gain weight started nagging, that other, restrictive noise was suddenly silenced.
—Brooke Eby, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
But ahead of taking office, Trump argued that the amendment's language should apply only to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, allowing his administration to implement a restrictive form of birthright citizenship.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2025
Chief among their complaints are poor customer service (45%), long waits for refunds (42%), shipping or restocking fees (34%), confusing return policies (26%) and restrictive time windows for returns (20%).
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Restrictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restrictive. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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restrictive
adjective
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restrictive
adjective
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