enclosed or restricted; limited undergoing childbirth
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
con•fine /v. kənˈfaɪn; n. ˈkɑnfaɪn/USA pronunciation
v., -fined, -fin•ing, n.
v. [~ + object (+ to + object)]
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v. [~ + object (+ to + object)]
- to enclose within bounds;
limit or restrict: confined himself to a few remarks. - to keep in;
prevent from leaving because of imprisonment, illness, etc.:confined to a mental institution.
n. [countable]
- Usually, confines. [plural] a boundary or bound;
limit;
border:He stayed within the confines of the hotel. - Often, confines. [plural] region;
territory.
con•fined
(kən fīnd′),USA pronunciation adj.
con•fin•ed•ly
(kən fī′nid lē, -fīnd′lē),USA pronunciation adv.
con•fin′ed•ness, n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- limited or restricted.
- unable to leave a place because of illness, imprisonment, etc.
- being in childbirth; being in parturition.
- confine + -ed2
con•fine
(kən fīn′ for 1, 2, 5, 6; kon′fīn for 3, 4),USA pronunciation v., -fined, -fin•ing, n.
v.t.
n.
con•fin′a•ble, con•fine′a•ble, adj.
con•fine′less, adj.
con•fin′er, n.
v.t.
- to enclose within bounds;
limit or restrict:She confined her remarks to errors in the report. Confine your efforts to finishing the book. - to shut or keep in;
prevent from leaving a place because of imprisonment, illness, discipline, etc.:For that offense he was confined to quarters for 30 days.
n.
- Usually, confines. a boundary or bound;
limit;
border;
frontier. - Often, confines. region;
territory. - [Archaic.]confinement.
- [Obs.]a place of confinement;
prison.
- Latin, as above
- Middle French confiner, verb, verbal derivative of confins
- Medieval Latin confinia, plural of Latin confinis boundary, border (see con-, fine2); (verb, verbal)
- Middle French confins, confines
- 1350–1400 for noun, nominal; 1515–25 for verb, verbal; (noun, nominal) Middle English
con•fine′less, adj.
con•fin′er, n.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged circumscribe.
- 1, 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged free.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
to keep or close within bounds; limit; restrict to keep shut in; restrict the free movement of: arthritis confined him to bed
- (often plural)
a limit; boundary
'not confined' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):