Confinable

/kənˈfaɪnəbəl/ adjective

Definition

Able to be confined, kept within limits, or restricted to a particular area or space.

Etymology

From confine (French confiner, from Latin confinis 'bordering') + -able suffix. Confine literally meant 'to border' before it shifted to 'to keep within borders.'

Kelly Says

Whether something is 'confinable' became a huge question during the COVID-19 pandemic—could the virus be confinable to one region, or would it spread globally?—showing how scientific and policy language reached for this technical word in crisis.

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