noun
binding; tying
Literal act of tying or binding something with rope, string, etc. Also used in figurative contexts like rules that bind.
荷物に縛りをかける。
I tie up the luggage.
noun
restriction; regulation; limit
Figurative use: a rule, condition, or limitation that constrains freedom. Common in business, contracts, and everyday speech.
このプランには年齢の縛りがあります。
This plan has an age restriction.
時間の縛りが厳しい仕事だ。
It's a job with strict time constraints.
noun
binding period; minimum contract term
Specific to contracts for mobile phones, internet, etc., where a minimum subscription period is required, often with a penalty for early cancellation.
このスマホは2年の縛りがある。
This smartphone has a two-year binding period.
制限 is a more formal and general term for 'restriction' or 'limitation', while 縛り often carries a nuance of being tied down or constrained, and is commonly used in casual or business contexts for specific binding rules.
束縛 means 'restraint' or 'shackles', often with a stronger negative connotation of being oppressed or controlled, whereas 縛り can be a neutral or even practical restriction.
Noun form of the verb 縛る (しばる, 'to bind, tie'). The figurative sense of 'restriction' developed naturally from the physical meaning.