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

Derived Forms

• limitedly
  adverb
• limitedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of limited

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

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

Bidding is limited to firms owned by disabled veterans.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

The results showed that limited dispersal caused by asexual reproduction could explain why early animal ecosystems contained relatively few species.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

This narrowing of the power gap worldwide has limited what military might alone can achieve.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Anthropic said the updated access was limited to a "small group of cyberdefenders and infrastructure providers" but is expected to go beyond that soon.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Their potential losses were limited to the $26,000 they paid for their option to buy the stock.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

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