Showing results for "limited"

• past tense form of limit.
• past participle of limit.

limited

American  

[lim-i-tid] / ˈlɪm ɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. confined within limits; restricted or circumscribed.

   a limited space; limited resources.

2. Government. restricted with reference to governing powers by limitations prescribed in laws and in a constitution, as in

3. characterized by an inability to think imaginatively or independently; lacking originality or scope; narrow.

   a rather limited intelligence.

4. Chiefly British.

   1. responsible for the debts of a company only to a specified amount proportionate to the percentage of stock held.

   2. (of a business firm) owned by stockholders, each having a restricted liability for the company's debts.

   3. (usually initial capital letter) incorporated; Inc. Ltd.

5. (of railroad trains, buses, etc.) making only a limited number of stops en route.

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noun

1. a limited train, bus, etc.

limited British  

/ ˈlɪmɪtɪd /

adjective

1. having a limit; restricted; confined

2. without fullness or scope; narrow

3. (of governing powers, sovereignty, etc) restricted or checked, by or as if by a constitution, laws, or an assembly

   limited government

4. (of a train) stopping only at certain stations and having only a set number of cars for passengers

5. (of a business enterprise) owned by shareholders whose liability for the enterprise's debts is restricted

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noun

1. a limited train, bus, etc

Other Word Forms

• limitedness
  noun
• limitedly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of limited

First recorded in 1545–55; limit + -ed ²

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Explanation

If your gift certificate is only good for a limited amount of time, you have a specific number of days in which you can use it. Limited means short, small, or restricted by specific rules. When a rock concert has a limited number of seats, you may not be able to count on sitting down for the show. Likewise, it's tricky to open a business in a city with a limited amount of retail space. The adjective limited, which comes from the verb limit, was originally used to describe certain train routes — a limited was a term for an express train the late 1800's.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

limited

Many French recruits were from disadvantaged suburbs of major cities and faced limited opportunities.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

With limited visibility into the fourth quarter of the current fiscal year, it is too early to provide meaningful profit guidance for fiscal 2027, Ryanair added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

The new approach could help overcome some of the biggest obstacles that have limited the effectiveness of existing brain cancer treatments.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

The limited pause in hostilities, which started on Tuesday, was brokered with the help of US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

“Whatever their real nature is, they’re unique among magical creatures because they aren’t limited to one kind of magic. You can find them anywhere, adapting to anything.”

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

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Related Words

• diminished
• insufficient
• minimal
• narrow
• poor
• reduced
• restricted
• small

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