Article 2(4) of the UN Charter generally bans the use of force by states except when carefully circumscribed conditions are met, stating:

The unanimous ruling was a significant, if carefully circumscribed, expansion of municipal liability under one of the most frequently invoked Federal civil rights laws, the Civil Rights Act of 1871.

In part, his relentlessy happy tint reflected his American orbit, carefully circumscribed to the realm of "upper-middle-class comfort and civility," in Foster's words.

But they ruled out any money for arms and ammunition except under carefully circumscribed conditions and a subsequent vote by both houses of Congress.

Shop stewards had their authority carefully circumscribed to prevent their infringing on that of the plant leader.

Most of the modernization is taking place within carefully circumscribed limits.

He agreed to hold Egypt's first contested presidential elections and to permit unprecedented, if carefully circumscribed, political freedom.

House Republicans introduced a comprehensive bill today to regulate health maintenance organizations and to protect patients, who would gain carefully circumscribed new rights to sue health plans for injuries caused by the insurer's negligence.

Using carefully circumscribed procedures, however, the Supreme Court has allowed states to partly protect vulnerable young witnesses.

Instead, Kennedy wrote an opinion that, while carefully circumscribed, squarely repudiated the school district's main arguments.