restricted
/rɪˈstrɪktɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /rɪˈstrɪktɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ri-ˈstrik-təd/ (ame, mw)
restricted — adjective
- restrictedpositive
- more restrictedcomparative
- most restrictedsuperlative
1. Something that is restricted has limits placed on it by people in authority, suc
Something that is restricted has limits placed on it by people in authority, such as the government, a company, or a school, controlling how much, how often, or by whom it can be used or done.
The number of visitors to the national park is restricted to 200 people per day during nesting season.
passive: number + is restricted to + amount
Diego's doctor put him on a restricted diet after the heart attack, limiting salt and sugar.
restricted diet / restricted budget — modifying a noun for 'limited'
Students at the boarding school have restricted access to their phones during class hours.
Parking at the factory is restricted to weekends, so weekday drivers park on the street instead.
- limited
More neutral and general; 'restricted' implies an external authority imposing the limit
- controlled
Emphasises active regulation or management rather than a fixed cap
- confined
Suggests physical or spatial limits rather than rule-based ones
- unrestricted
Direct opposite — no limits or rules applied
- free
General opposite emphasising absence of constraints
用法筆記
Often appears in passive constructions with 'to' (is restricted to + limit). Frequently modifies nouns like 'access', 'diet', 'budget', 'use'.
常見錯誤
2. A restricted area is a place that you may enter only with official permission, e
A restricted area is a place that you may enter only with official permission, either because it is dangerous — for example, a military zone or a construction site — or because the authorities want to keep the area secret.
The sign on the fence warned that this was a restricted area and unauthorised personnel were not allowed to enter.
restricted area — fixed phrase for places requiring permission
Amara works at the airport and needs a special badge to go into the restricted areas near the runways.
Tourists were told to stay on the path because the rest of the island is a restricted military zone.
After the earthquake, the damaged buildings were declared a restricted area accessible only to rescue workers.
- off-limits
More informal; implies a clear prohibition rather than permission-based access
- out-of-bounds
Common in military and school contexts; suggests a boundary that must not be crossed
- closed
Broader meaning — can mean temporarily shut rather than permission-controlled
用法筆記
Commonly follows 'declared', 'marked as', or 'considered'. Subject is typically a zone, building, or piece of land. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about any limit on quantity/use; sense 2 is specifically about physical places requiring entry permission.
3. A restricted document is a file, report, or record that can be read only by peop
A restricted document is a file, report, or record that can be read only by people who have received special official permission, usually because a government or organisation has classified it as secret for reasons of national security or confidentiality.
The embassy confirmed that the report was classified as restricted and could not be shared with journalists.
classified as restricted — standard collocation for official secrecy levels
Omar needed top-level security clearance to view the restricted documents stored in the ministry archive.
Nadia was denied a promotion after intelligence agents found restricted reports on her personal laptop.
Staff who leak restricted documents could face criminal charges under the Official Secrets Act.
- classified
More specific — implies an official government security label with legal consequences
- confidential
Similar but slightly lower in secrecy level in most classification systems
- secret
Stronger term; a higher level of classification than 'restricted'
- unclassified
Direct official opposite — no restrictions on access
- public
Available or published for anyone to read
用法筆記
Frequently occurs in government, military, and legal contexts. The phrase 'classified as restricted' follows a formal security-classification hierarchy (unclassified → restricted → confidential → secret → top secret in some systems). Not used for personal documents that happen to be private.