Showing results for "limited"

• past tense form of limit.
• past participle of limit.

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

• limitedness
  noun
• limitedly
  adverb

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

Limited edition versions of the S and X were handed off to customers in May.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026

The ledger also lists Doha, Qatar, as the address for a mysterious entity called AM FIG Cayman Limited, which invested around $10 million in 2020.

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026

Around 370 workers employed by Edinburgh Airport Limited as airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers and managers also remain in dispute with their employer.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

Limited progress has been made in the last 3½ years, with a marginally lower number of homeless people.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

I guess you could say it all started in Nandan Nilekani’s conference room at Infosys Technologies Limited.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

Related Words

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