limit

American  

[lim-it] / ˈlɪm ɪt /

noun

• limits
  plural

1. the final, utmost, or furthest boundary or point as to extent, amount, continuance, procedure, etc.: the limit of vision.

   the limit of his experience;

   the limit of vision.

2. a boundary or bound, as of a country, area, or district.

   Synonyms:

   border, frontier, confines

3. Mathematics.

   1. a number such that the value of a given function remains arbitrarily close to this number when the independent variable is sufficiently close to a specified point or is sufficiently large. The limit of 1/ x is zero as x approaches infinity; the limit of (x − 1) 2 is zero as x approaches 1.

   2. a number such that the absolute value of the difference between terms of a given sequence and the number approaches zero as the index of the terms increases to infinity.

   3. one of two numbers affixed to the integration symbol for a definite integral, indicating the interval or region over which the integration is taking place and substituted in a primitive, if one exists, to evaluate the integral.

4. limits, the premises or region enclosed within boundaries.

   We found them on school limits after hours.

5. Games. the maximum sum by which a bet may be raised at any one time.

6. Informal. the limit, something or someone that exasperates, delights, etc., to an extreme degree.

   You have made errors before, but this is the limit.

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verb (used with object)

• limits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• limited,
  past participle,  past
• limiting
  present participle

1. to restrict by or as if by establishing limits (usually followed byto ).

   Please limit answers to 25 words.

2. to confine or keep within limits.

   to limit expenditures.

   Synonyms:

   bound, restrain

3. Law. to fix or assign definitely or specifically.

limit British  

/ ˈlɪmɪt /

noun

1. (sometimes plural) the ultimate extent, degree, or amount of something

   the limit of endurance

2. (often plural) the boundary or edge of a specific area

   the city limits

3. (often plural) the area of premises within specific boundaries

4. the largest quantity or amount allowed

5. maths

   1. a value to which a function f( x ) approaches as closely as desired as the independent variable approaches a specified value ( x = a) or approaches infinity

   2. a value to which a sequence an approaches arbitrarily close as n approaches infinity

   3. the limit of a sequence of partial sums of a convergent infinite series

      the limit of 1 + ½ + ¼ + ⅛ + … is 2

6. maths one of the two specified values between which a definite integral is evaluated

7. informal a person or thing that is intolerably exasperating

8. 1. out of bounds

   2. forbidden to do or use

      smoking was off limits everywhere

9. to a certain or limited extent

   I approve of it within limits

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verb

1. to restrict or confine, as to area, extent, time, etc

2. law to agree, fix, or assign specifically

limit Scientific  

/ lĭm′ĭt /

1. A number or point for which, from a given set of numbers or points, one can choose an arbitrarily close number or point. For example, for the set of all real numbers greater than zero and less than one, the numbers one and zero are limit points, since one can pick a number from the set arbitrarily close to one or zero (even though one and zero are not themselves in the set). Limits form the basis for calculus, where a number L is defined to be the limit approached by a function f(x) as x approaches a if, for every positive number ε, there exists a number δ such that ‖ f(x)−L ‖

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limit Idioms  

1. see go whole hog (the limit); sky's the limit; the limit.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• limitableness
  noun
• limitlessness
  noun
• underlimit
  noun
• overlimit
  verb (used with object)
• relimit
  verb (used with object)
• underlimit
  verb (used with object)
• limitable
  adjective
• limitless
  adjective
• limitlessly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• limits
  plural

Participles

• limiting
  present
• limited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• limit
  simple
• limits
  simple
• have limited
  perfect
• has limited
  perfect
• am limiting
  progressive
• are limiting
  progressive
• is limiting
  progressive
• have been limiting
  perfect progressive
• has been limiting
  perfect progressive

Past

• limited
  simple
• had limited
  perfect
• was limiting
  progressive
• were limiting
  progressive
• had been limiting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will limit
  simple
• will have limited
  perfect
• will be limiting
  progressive
• will have been limiting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of limit

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English lymyt, from Latin līmit-, stem of līmes “boundary, path between fields”

Explanation

A limit is a boundary, or how far something can go, or the maximum amount of something. When you reach the limit, imagine a little sign saying "the end." There's a limit to how much weight you can lift, how many words can be written in an hour, or how long someone can stay awake. Once you pass the city limits, you have left town. Sporting events have time limits. As a verb, you can limit how much chocolate your kids are allowed to eat. And if you don't feel like writing much, you'll limit your essay to just 400 words instead of 500.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

limit limits limited limiting

So, if you can limit the amount of runs the other team is getting, you’re going to do a pretty good job.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

States can’t disqualify scholarship-granting organizations, nor limit the types of schools or expenses these organizations fund, if they meet federal requirements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

If the approach proves successful in people, it could eventually reduce the number of procedures patients need, limit unwanted side effects, and provide longer-lasting protection against structural joint damage.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

The French budget deficit is set to reach 5.4% of gross domestic product this year, significantly higher than any other member of the European Union and above the bloc’s 3% limit.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Now, instead of thinking of the race as a sum of infinite parts, think of it as a limit of finite sub-races.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

The report credits its recent recovery to a concerted international effort that included reducing catch quotas, size limits and protection of spawning grounds, which was backed by campaigns from consumers, chefs and retailers.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

But there are also mechanical limits to how far that cycle can go, and investors and analysts are now seeing signs of a slowdown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

OpenAI announced ChatGPT for Teens in August, promising “stronger built-in safety protections” for users under 18, including limits on discussions around suicide, eating disorders, violence and sexual content.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

"We built it for developers and creators pushing the limits of performance," Microsoft Executive Vice President of Windows and Device Pavan Davuluri said on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Besides, he could not bind all that he had in his nature—the rover, the aspirant, the poet, the priest—in the limits of a single passion.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

They alleged workers painted over the mold instead of removing it, and that outdoor time remains limited, allegations the court monitor confirmed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

"The biggest concern was that the phrase 'forward-looking' seems to necessitate a limited involvement of families who have been through the mill of this culture of failings," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

RBC analyst Logan Reich, in a note on Thursday, said the rationale behind a combined Starbucks-Chipotle “isn’t apparent to us given limited overlap between the businesses.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

“We humans are limited by our input-output rate—we learn only two bits a second, so a ton is lost. To a machine we must seem like slowed-down whale songs.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Within a few months after joining the club, Bobby, together with Lombardy and Gore, dominated the weekly speed tournaments, which limited players to ten seconds a move.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The Associated Press reported at the time that Iran has a self-imposed limit on its ballistic missile program, limiting the range to 1,240 miles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

By sharply limiting carbohydrates, it shifts the body away from relying on sugar for energy and toward burning fat instead, an effect that can help some people lose weight.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

On is limiting shipments to retailers to keep shoes from ending up on sale and plans to hold the line on prices that average $170.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Pacific leaders are pushing for the world to stick to a target of limiting global warming to 1.5C, enhance access to climate finance, and give more attention to the impact on oceans.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Usually, we insisted on keeping the press corps at a distance from our kids, limiting them to photos and then only at public campaign events.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• bar
• curb
• define
• hinder
• inhibit
• lessen
• narrow
• reduce
• set
• specify