different between might vs constraint
might
English
Alternative forms
- mite (eye dialect, informal)
Pronunciation
- enPR: m?t, IPA(key): /ma?t/
- Homophone: mite
- Rhymes: -a?t
Etymology 1
From Middle English myght, might (also maught, macht, maht), from Old English miht, mieht, meaht, mæht (“might, bodily strength, power, authority, ability, virtue, mighty work, miracle, angel”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahti, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz, *mahtuz (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *móg?tis, *meg?- (“to allow, be able, help”), corresponding to Germanic *magan? + *-þiz.
Cognate with Scots micht, maucht (“might”), North Frisian macht (“might, ability”), West Frisian macht (“might, ability”), Dutch macht (“might, power”), German Macht (“power, might”), Swedish makt (“might”), Norwegian makt (“power”), Icelandic máttur (“might”), Gothic ???????????????????? (mahts). Related to may.
Noun
might (countable and uncountable, plural mights)
- (countable, uncountable) Power, strength, force or influence held by a person or group.
- 1969, {unattributed}, Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Volume 99
- "Since every nation considers itself right, peace lies in balancing the military mights of the possible rivals."
- 1969, {unattributed}, Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Volume 99
- (uncountable) Physical strength or force.
- He pushed with all his might, but still it would not move.
- (uncountable) The ability to do something.
Derived terms
Translations
Adjective
might (comparative mighter, superlative mightest)
- (obsolete) Mighty; powerful.
- (obsolete) Possible.
Etymology 2
From Old English meahte and mihte, from magan, whence English may.
Verb
might (third-person singular simple present might, no present participle, simple past might, no past participle)
- (auxiliary) Used to indicate conditional or possible actions.
- 1608, Joseph Hall, Characters of Virtues and Vices
- The characterism of an honest man: He looks not to what he might do, but what he should.
- “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
- 1608, Joseph Hall, Characters of Virtues and Vices
- (auxiliary) simple past tense of may Used to indicate permission in past tense.
- 1922, James Frazer, The Golden Bough, Chapter 60:
- The king and queen of Tahiti might not touch the ground anywhere but within their hereditary domains; for the ground on which they trod became sacred.
- 1922, James Frazer, The Golden Bough, Chapter 60:
- (auxiliary) simple past tense of may Used to indicate possibility in past tense.
- Used to indicate a desired past action that was not done.
- (auxiliary) Even though.
- (auxiliary) Used in polite requests for permission
Usage notes
For many speakers, the use as the past tense of the auxiliary may, indicating permission, is obsolete: I told him he might not see her will only be interpreted as "I told him he would possibly not see her," and not as "I told him he was not allowed to see her." For the latter case, "could not" or "was/were not allowed to," "was/were forbidden to," etc., will be used instead.
Conjugation
- archaic second-person singular simple past - mightest
- nonstandard, archaic third-person singular simple past - mighteth
Alternative forms
- mought (obsolete outside US dialects)
- mout (US regional pronunciation spelling)
Translations
See also
- could
- Appendix:English modal verbs
- Appendix:English tag questions
References
- might at OneLook Dictionary Search
might From the web:
- what might have been
- what might a weak pulse indicate
- what might cause a shotgun to explode
- what might cause mechanical weathering
- what might have been lyrics
- what might be one reason why a stock
- what might be dividing this house
- what might be the best decision for country a
constraint
English
Etymology
From Middle English constreynt, constreynte, from Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre (“to constrain”), from Latin c?nstring? (corresponding to the past participle c?nstrictus).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /k?n?st?e?nt/
- Rhymes: -e?nt
Noun
constraint (countable and uncountable, plural constraints)
- Something that constrains; a restriction.
- An irresistible force or compulsion.
- The repression of one's feelings.
- (mathematics) A condition that a solution to an optimization problem must satisfy.
- (databases) A linkage or other restriction that maintains database integrity.
Derived terms
- constraint satisfaction
Related terms
- constrain
- constrict
- restraint
Translations
Further reading
- constraint on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
- in contrast
constraint From the web:
- what constraints
- what constraints means
- what constraints are there on the pursuit of knowledge
- what constraints are external to the body
- what constraints are there on the domain of the function
- what constraints exist on presidential power
- what constraints influence operant conditioning
- what constraints should there be on the government
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