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# confines

noun (plural only: the confines)

«confines» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The edges or limits of a place: «within the confines of the school grounds». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/#m1)
2. The limits of an idea, rule or activity: «within the confines of the law». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/#m2)

### In the lessons

In school rules and safety talks: «Pupils must stay within the confines of the playground». In stories, characters long to escape «the confines» of a small room, a prison or a dull life. Phrases: «within the confines of», «beyond the confines of», «the narrow confines of».

### Examples

- Pupils must stay within the confines of the school grounds at lunch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/#x1)
- The puppy was happy to escape the confines of its crate. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/#x2)
- In the narrow confines of the cave, we had to crawl. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/#x3)
- Artists like to work beyond the confines of the usual rules. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/#x4)
- Everything must be done within the confines of the law. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/#x5)
- The fox lived within the confines of the city park. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/#x6)

### Note

Always plural and usually with «the»: «the confines», never «a confine». Stress on the first syllable: CON-fines (unlike the verb con-FINE). It is a formal or written word; in speech people say «inside» or «the limits of».

## In Jewish tradition

Here it means the outer edge or boundary of the world, where light meets darkness.

**Interpretation.** Tradition reads this as God setting limits on creation, a boundary between day and night.

### Examples

- He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, unto the confines of light and darkness. (Writings JOB.26.10, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/confines/#x1)

### Note

Always plural and usually with «the»: «the confines», never «a confine». Stress on the first syllable: CON-fines (unlike the verb con-FINE). It is a formal or written word; in speech people say «inside» or «the limits of».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «confines» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/confines/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«confines» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/confines.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «confines» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/confines/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«confines» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/confines.html) on Mova free.