means The act of holding yourself back — controlling impulses, emotions, or actions instead of letting them run free.

from From the Latin 'restringere,' to bind back or tie tight — a fusion of 're-' (back) and 'stringere' (to draw tight, pull taut), the same 'stringere' that gives us 'strict,' 'stringent,' and 'strain.' It reached English through Old French 'restreindre.' At its root the word is physical: a rope drawn taut, a thing held fast. Only later did we apply that same tension to the will, where the cord pulls inward instead of out.