limitation

American  

[lim-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌlɪm ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• limitations
  plural

1. a limiting condition; restrictive weakness; lack of capacity; inability or handicap.

   He knows his limitations as a writer.

2. something that limits; a limit or bound; restriction.

   an arms limitation; a limitation on imports.

3. the act of limiting.

4. the state of being limited.

5. Law. the assignment, as by statute, of a period of time within which an action must be brought, or the period of time assigned.

   a statute of limitations.

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limitation British  

/ ˌlɪmɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. something that limits a quality or achievement

2. the act of limiting or the condition of being limited

3. law a certain period of time, legally defined, within which an action, claim, etc, must be commenced

4. property law a restriction upon the duration or extent of an estate

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonlimitation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• limitations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of limitation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lymytacion, from Latin līmitātiōn-, stem of līmitātiō “determination, enclosure within boundaries,” from līmitāt(us) “bounded, enclosed” (past participle of līmitāre “to bound, enclose within boundaries”; see limit) + -iō -ion

Explanation

A limitation is something that holds you back, like a broken leg that keeps you off the dance floor during prom season. A limitation could also be a rule that restricts what you can do, like needing to be a certain height to ride a roller coaster at an amusement park. It can also be a circumstance that hampers you, like a dead car that keeps you from traveling very far from home. The noun limitation comes up a lot in the law, especially in the phrase "statute of limitations," which dictates how long after a crime someone can be prosecuted for committing it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

limitation limitations

There is an exception to that new limitation for homes located on agricultural property.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Capital doesn’t all have to come from Oracle and isn’t “a limitation to the growth of our business,” according to Magouyrk.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

“At this point, the limitation is individual and organization ambition to deploy—not model ability,” said Nguyen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

That limitation has shaped how diamond has been used in engineering.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

But Archimedes got beyond this limitation by hitting the reset button.

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

Some researchers have proposed limitations on the computing power used to train AI.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

The findings point to a potentially important connection between vitamin D and surgical pain, but the researchers emphasized several limitations.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

The spokesman said that as the statute of limitations for a harassment case had expired, a malicious communications case was considered in 2025 "when the victim made contact".

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Conveniently, the decision came when it was too late to retry Mr. da Silva before the statute of limitations ran out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

Similar limitations on the resources accessible to existing human technology prevail in the regions of the world recently occupied by other bands.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond