confine
/kənˈfaɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [kənfˈaɪn] /kənˈfaɪn/ (ame, ipa) · [kənfˈaɪn] /ˈkän-ˌfīn also kən-ˈfīn/ (ame, mw)
confine — 動詞
- confinepresent simple I / you / we / they
- confineshe / she / it
- confinedpast simple
- confining-ing form
1. to set limits on an activity, topic, or situation so that it stays within a part
限制
將活動、討論等控制在某範圍內
to set limits on an activity, topic, or situation so that it stays within a particular scope or area and does not go beyond what is intended or allowed
The chairperson confined the discussion to fifteen minutes so the meeting could finish on time.
主席將討論限制在十五分鐘內，這樣會議才能準時結束。
confine + discussion + to + time limit
Firefighters managed to confine the flames to the kitchen area.
消防隊成功將火勢控制在廚房區域內，不讓大火蔓延到房子其他地方。
confine + flames/damage + to + location
Andrew confined his remarks to the budget and did not mention the staffing problems.
Andrew 將發言範圍限制在預算上，完全沒有提到人事問題。
The doctor advised Nadia to confine her exercise to gentle walking until the ankle healed.
醫師建議 Nadia 在腳踝癒合前，只進行輕度的步行運動。
During the trial, witnesses were told to confine their answers to what they had seen.
審判期間，證人被要求只針對親眼所見的事實來回答問題。
- restrict
very similar, but restrict often suggests a deliberate rule or policy while confine can describe natural or physical boundaries
- limit
broader; can refer to quantity, time, or number whereas confine usually emphasises keeping within a boundary or scope
- narrow down
more informal; implies reducing options or possibilities rather than setting fixed boundaries
文法句型
confine + noun + to + noun/gerund
confine + noun + within + noun
confine + yourself + to + noun
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the passive voice (be confined to). The preposition to introduces the limit — whether a time frame, a topic, a location, or a type of activity. Do not use about or of after confine in this sense.
常見錯誤
2. to force a person or animal to stay inside a small or enclosed space, often agai
監禁；關起來
強迫人或動物待在封閉的空間內
to force a person or animal to stay inside a small or enclosed space, often against their will or for reasons of health or safety
After breaking his leg, Cyrus was confined to his apartment for six weeks.
Cyrus 摔斷腿後，被關在公寓裡長達六個星期。
be confined to [location] after [event]
The zookeepers confined the injured eagle in a quiet enclosure until it recovered.
動物管理員把那隻受傷的老鷹關在安靜的圍欄裡，直到牠康復為止。
confine + animal + in [enclosure]
During the blizzard, mountain villagers were confined to their homes for three days.
暴風雪期間，山村居民連續三天都被關在家裡。
The prisoners were confined to their cells for twenty-three hours each day.
那些囚犯每天被關在牢房裡二十三小時。
Lan found a stray kitten and confined it in a box until the vet arrived.
Lan 發現了一隻流浪的小貓，把牠關在紙箱裡等著獸醫過來。
文法句型
be confined to + place/location
confine + noun + in/inside + space
confine + noun + to + place
用法筆記
The passive construction is extremely common: X is confined to Y. With illness or injury, the pattern is be confined to bed / a wheelchair / the house. With imprisonment, use be confined to a cell / a room / an institution. The active form (X confined Y in Z) is less frequent.
常見錯誤
3. to be naturally limited to a particular place, group of people, or situation, an
僅限於
只存在或發生在特定範圍內
to be naturally limited to a particular place, group of people, or situation, and not be found or seen anywhere beyond that
This rare orchid species is confined to a single mountain valley in northern Italy.
這種稀有的蘭花品種只生長在義大利北部的一座山谷中。
be confined to [geographical area]
The disease was largely confined to elderly patients with weak immune systems.
該疾病主要集中在免疫系統較弱的年長患者身上。
be largely confined to [demographic group]
The protests were confined to the capital city and did not spread to rural areas.
抗議活動僅限於首都，並未擴散到鄉村地區。
Ravindra's knowledge of Japanese is confined to a few polite greetings and simple phrases.
Ravindra 的日語能力僅限於幾句禮貌的問候和簡單用語。
In many traditional communities, certain ceremonies are confined to elderly women only.
在許多傳統社區中，某些儀式僅限年長女性參加。
- be limited to
more general; can describe quantity, time, or location equally well
- be restricted to
very close in meaning, but often suggests an active decision rather than a natural fact
- occur only in
more formal; commonly used in scientific writing about species or phenomena
文法句型
be confined to + geographical area
be confined to + social/demographic group
be confined to + specific domain
用法筆記
This sense is nearly always used in the passive (is confined / are confined / was confined). The active form (e.g. 'The disease confined itself to...') is rare. Common adverbial modifiers include largely, mostly, mainly, and no longer.
常見錯誤
confine — 名詞
1. a physical structure such as a wall, fence, or border that forms the outer edge
界線；圍牆
圍住區域的牆壁或邊界
a physical structure such as a wall, fence, or border that forms the outer edge of an enclosed area and marks where it ends
The ancient city was built within the stone confines of a hilltop fortress.
這座古城建於陡峭山丘上一座堡壘的石牆範圍內。
within the [material] confines of [structure]
The garden was tiny — barely ten metres wide within its brick confines.
那座花園很小——在磚牆範圍內僅有十公尺寬。
within [adjective] confines
The explorers pushed beyond the safe confines of the forest into unknown territory.
探險家們走出森林的安全範圍，進入了未知的領域。
Rabbits can escape through surprisingly narrow confines to reach food on the other side.
兔子能穿過非常狹窄的縫隙，到另一邊去找食物。
Hannah felt trapped inside the cold stone confines of the castle walls.
Hannah 覺得自己被城堡那道冰冷的石牆困住了。
- boundaries
more general; can be physical or abstract; confines is more literary
- borders
emphasises the edge between two areas; confines suggests the full enclosing perimeter
- walls
more specific; refers to actual vertical structures rather than any boundary
文法句型
the confines of + noun
within the confines of + noun
beyond the confines of + noun
用法筆記
Nearly always used in the plural form confines. Singular use (the confine of the garden) is extremely rare and sounds archaic. The word often appears in set phrases: within the confines of, beyond the confines of, outside the confines of.
常見錯誤
2. the set of abstract boundaries or limits that define what is possible, acceptabl
範圍；限度
事物運作或存在的抽象界限
the set of abstract boundaries or limits that define what is possible, acceptable, or expected within a particular situation or system
The police investigation stayed within the confines of the law at all times.
警方調查始終在法律允許的範圍內進行。
within the confines of the law
Felix felt trapped by the narrow confines of his traditional role in the family business.
Felix 覺得自己被家族事業中那個狹隘的傳統角色所困。
confines of [role]
The debate remained within the confines of economic theory and never touched on social issues.
那場辯論始終停留在經濟理論的範圍內，完全沒有觸及社會議題。
Vinícius pushed the story beyond the usual confines of the genre.
Vinícius 超越了該類型的常規框架限制。
Scientific breakthroughs often happen when researchers step outside the confines of accepted theory.
科學上的突破往往發生在研究人員跳脫既有理論框架的時候。
- limits
more direct and common; confines sounds more formal and literary
- boundaries
very similar; boundaries is more common in everyday speech; confines suggests stricter or narrower limits
- parameters
technical or academic; used for defined limits in a system or project
文法句型
within the confines of + abstract noun
beyond/outside the confines of + abstract noun
the confines of + law/budget/tradition/role
用法筆記
Like sense 1, this is almost always plural (confines). The phrase within the confines of is the most common pattern and can be followed by both concrete nouns (the confines of the building) and abstract nouns (the confines of tradition). For the abstract meaning alone, use beyond/outside the confines of for a sense of going beyond what is usual.
常見錯誤
3. a rule, condition, or practical factor that restricts what someone can do, how m
制約
限制行動或可能性的因素
a rule, condition, or practical factor that restricts what someone can do, how much time or money they have, or how freely they can act
The project faced severe time confines that made careful testing impossible.
該專案面臨嚴重的時間限制，無法進行仔細的測試。
time confines
Budget confines forced the school to cancel the annual science trip.
預算限制迫使學校取消了年度科學校外教學。
The legal confines of the contract prevented the company from sharing customer data without permission.
合約的法律條款約束了這家公司，未經許可不得分享客戶資料。
Élise found the social confines of the small village too restrictive.
Élise 覺得小村莊的社會約束太過嚴格了。
The photographer chose to work within the creative confines of black-and-white film.
那位攝影師選擇在黑白底片的創作限制之內進行拍攝。
- constraint
very similar; constraint is more common in formal and technical writing
- restriction
broader; can refer to any rule that limits freedom, not just practical factors
- limitation
more general; can describe inherent weaknesses (e.g. 'the limitations of the human eye')
- freedom
the state of being able to act without restrictions
- flexibility
the ability to adapt or change without being held back by fixed limits
文法句型
time/budget/legal confines
social/political/economic confines
within the confines of + limitation
用法筆記
Like noun senses 1 and 2, this sense is usually plural. It differs from sense 2 (SCOPE OR LIMITS) in emphasis: sense 2 describes the range within which something operates, while sense 3 focuses on the restrictive force itself — the thing that holds you back. Common modifiers are time, budget, legal, social, and political.
常見錯誤
4. a place where a person is forcibly kept, such as a prison, detention centre, or
監獄；禁閉處
囚禁人的地方
a place where a person is forcibly kept, such as a prison, detention centre, or any enclosed facility from which escape is difficult
The novelist spent two years in the dark confines of a political prison.
那位小說家曾在政治監獄的黑暗牢房中待了兩年。
in the confines of [prison]
The old fortress had been used as a military confine during the civil war.
那座古老的堡壘在內戰期間曾被用作軍事監獄。
singular: confine (uncommon)
Aylin visited the museum housed in what was once a notorious confine for political prisoners.
Aylin 參觀了那座博物館，它的前身是一處惡名昭彰的政治犯監獄。
No one had ever escaped from the stone confines of the island prison fortress.
從來沒有人能從那座島嶼監獄的石牆中逃脫。
The treaty demanded the release of all people held in secret confines without trial.
條約要求釋放所有未經審判就被關押在祕密監獄的人。
- prison
the common, straightforward term for a place where criminals are kept
- jail
similar to prison, often for shorter stays or pre-trial detention
- detention centre
neutral, formal term for a place where people are held, not necessarily as punishment
文法句型
the confines of + place
in confinement
place of confinement
用法筆記
This is the rarest noun sense and is mostly found in formal, historical, or legal writing. The plural confines is more common, but the singular confine occurs occasionally in literary or historical contexts to mean 'a place of detention' (e.g. 'a military confine'). The related noun confinement is far more common for the state or period of being imprisoned.