Constrainability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being capable of being limited, restricted, or controlled; the capacity for something to be bound within certain limits; the attribute of having the ability to be confined in scope or action
2. The state of possessing the potential to be subjected to constraints or restraints; the characteristic that allows something to be curbed or held within boundaries; the condition of being amenable to limitation or regulation
3. The property of being susceptible to enforcement of restrictions or controls; the feature that enables containment or moderation; the essence of having limitation as a definable aspect of existence or function

Etymology: "Constrain" came into English through Old French "constreindre" from Latin "constringere," meaning "to bind tightly together," from "con-" (together) and "stringere" (to draw tight). The original idea of physical binding survives in the modern sense of being held within limits. "Constrainability" is built by adding two suffixes to that verb. "-able," from Latin "-abilis," means "capable of being," so "constrainable" means "capable of being constrained." The noun ending "-ity," from Latin "-itas," turns that adjective into an abstract noun naming the quality itself. Because the word is a transparent derivation of "constrain," its meaning follows directly from its parts, and it has no separate history of its own.

Synonyms: controllability, restrictability, limitation, resistance, regulation

Antonyms: freedom, liberty, unconstrainedness, unrestrictedness, uncontrollability