What does "curfew" mean?
Any regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time.
Curfew
/ˈkɜː.fjuː/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time.
- Grammar: curfew is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: bedtime, chime, control, curfew hours.
- Useful contrasts: allow, free time, freedom.
- Usage evidence: Are you going to pull curfew on me?
How to use "curfew"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "curfew" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "curfew" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "curfew" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "curfew" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "curfew" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bedtime" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "curfew", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time.
"Curfews have been curbing / The end of liberty"
- 2 an order that after a specific time certain activities (as being outside on the streets) are prohibited wordnet
- 3 The time when such restriction begins.
- 4 a signal (usually a bell) announcing the start of curfew restrictions wordnet
- 5 A signal indicating this time.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 the time that the curfew signal is sounded wordnet
- 7 A fireplace accessory designed to bank a fire by completely covering the embers.
- 8 A regulation in feudal Europe by which fires had to be covered up or put out at a certain fixed time in the evening, marked by the ringing of an evening bell. historical
- 9 The evening bell, which continued to be rung in many towns after the regulation itself became obsolete.
"I have my lodging neere unto a tower, where both evening and morning a very great bell doth chime Ave marie and Cover-few, which jangling doth even make the tower to shake […]."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Are you going to pull curfew on me?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "curfew"?
Common synonyms include: bedtime, chime, control, curfew hours, deny outings, eleventh hour.
How do you use "curfew" in a sentence?
Are you going to pull curfew on me?
How do you pronounce "curfew"?
Pronounced /ˈkɜː.fjuː/.
Etymology
From Middle English curfu, from Old French cuevre-fu (French couvre-feu), from the imperative of covrir (“to cover”) + fu (“fire”). Compare kerchief.