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

TAIPEI—Taiwan prosecutors charged nine people, including former employees of Nvidia and Super Micro Computer, with aiding the shipment of advanced artificial-intelligence servers to China, as Taiwan tries to limit technology reaching the mainland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Former US president Barrack Obama and several US allies had agreed a deal with the country in 2015 which lifted many sanctions in return for Iran agreeing to limit its nuclear programme.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

“We think the firm’s concentration may also limit its ability to penetrate markets as deeply as more diversified peers like McDonald’s,” Felhandler said.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

"Thirty-three planes landed in one hour. Twenty-eight is supposed to be our limit!"

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

“There’s no limit to the risk in the market,” he said.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

The elections were the first to be held under Kazakhstan's new constitution, which abolished the senate in favour of a new unicameral legislature and reset term limits that would have otherwise been imposed on Tokayev.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

After the federal government put new limits on certain types of student-loan borrowing this summer, lending experts expect more students to turn to private loans to help cover tuition costs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

New limits on branded school uniform come into force from September, in a bid to reduce costs for parents.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

In the 1970s, cardiologist Robert C. Atkins developed the Atkins diet, which limits carbohydrates while increasing protein and fat intake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Pong passed the city limits, passed the last Charge Station, and zipped by the sleepy riverside villages.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

This is likely to have a limited impact on headline inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The lasting effects were not limited to antibiotics, which are already well known for their ability to disrupt populations of gut bacteria.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

Hampton would’ve done more if not for deflating injuries that limited him to 10 games.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

The operator said it plans to run a "very limited number of trains" from around 18:00 BST on Sunday evening, and a full service on Monday.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

And as Tamika had pointed out during my bike-a-thon, “Knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.”

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Disease prevalence rates in the region have risen for the past 20 years or more, after a period when they had dropped off thanks to regulations limiting miners' exposure to coal dust.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

More than 95% of students in England take out loans, and tuition fees are broadly similar at most English universities, limiting lower-cost options.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The latter is the limiting case in which one part of the system is treated quantum mechanically, while classical physics is sufficient for the other part.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

A school uniform policy limiting States schools to five branded uniform items per child has been put in place.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

“As you are aware, our play is fast approaching. It’s time for us to kick into high gear. We will be limiting our traditional academic endeavors to the forenoon hours.”

From "George" by Alex Gino

Related Words

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