straitjacket
/ˈstɹeɪtˌd͡ʒækɪt/noun, verb
straitjacket is spelled S-T-R-A-I-T-J-A-C-K-E-T: 12 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 60,838th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, straitjacket means “A jacketlike garment with very long sleeves which can be secured in place, thus preventing the wearer from moving their arms; often used in…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of straitjacket is straitjackets.
How many letters and syllables are in straitjacket?
| Letters | 12: S-T-R-A-I-T-J-A-C-K-E-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 60,838th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is straitjacket?
Straitjacket appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 60,838th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce straitjacket?
- /ˈstɹeɪtˌd͡ʒækɪt/
Straitjacket has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-straitjacket.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with straitjacket
Also written: strait-jacket (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of straitjacket
- straitjackets plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- strait jacket
- strait-jacket
- straightjacket
- straitjacketing participle, present
- straitjacketed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does straitjacket mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A jacketlike garment with very long sleeves which can be secured in place, thus preventing the wearer from moving their arms; often used in psychiatric hospitals to prevent patients from injuring themselves or others.
- 2
Any situation seen as confining or restricting.
our ever-increasing bureaucratic straitjacket of regulations
verb
- 1
To put someone into a straitjacket.
- 2
To restrict the freedom of someone or something, either physically or psychologically.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Straitjacket in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a jacket-like garment:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | camisole de force |
| German | Zwangsjacke |
| Portuguese | colete de forças, camisa de força |
| Spanish | camisa de fuerza |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does straitjacket come from?
From strait (“restrictive”) + jacket.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).