ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Straitjacket

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈstɹeɪtˌd͡ʒækɪt/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Straitjacket is a noun meaning (figurative) Any situation seen as confining or restricting.

Meaning

(figurative) Any situation seen as confining or restricting.

More Meanings

  1. (literally, transitive) To put someone into a straitjacket.
  2. (figuratively, transitive, by extension) To restrict the freedom of someone or something, either physically or psychologically.
  3. A jacketlike garment with very long sleeves which can be secured in place, thus preventing the wearer from moving their arms; often used in psychiatric hospitals to prevent patients from injuring themselves or others.

Example Sentences

our ever-increasing bureaucratic straitjacket of regulations
There’s a couple of people actually wearing duct-tape straitjackets.
[I]f we remain in one discipline, we remain in a straitjacket; an adequate theory of language evolution requires a lot of interdisciplinary work.
Charles for five whole days in a Victorian topper and tailcoat when he practically had to be straitjacketted to get him into tails for a three-hour wedding?

Word Forms

Synonyms for straitjacket

Depending on context, synonyms include straitwaistcoat, jacket, straightjacket.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include straightjacket, dress, robe, gown, corset, jacket.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.