limitation

American  

[lim-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌlɪm ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

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

• nonlimitation
  noun

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

But according to Feldman, Cerebras has overcome this limitation using new software.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

This could be a serious limitation to this experiment.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

“The future value here seems to be significantly larger than what we’re reporting today and the limitation is how quickly they can manufacture the chips.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Gilgamesh returns to his kingdom of Uruk not as a conqueror but as a witness: to loss, to limitation, to the fragile beauty of what cannot last.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Now that the barriers were down, the limitation, in my terms, of our converse and understanding seemed intolerable to me.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin