Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

limiting factor

American  

noun

  1. Physiology. the slowest, therefore rate-limiting, step in a process or reaction involving several steps.

  2. Biology. an environmental factor that tends to limit population size.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As AI’s computing needs get bigger, power density has become a limiting factor, Analog said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

However, the new findings clearly show that oxygen diffusion within flight muscle tracheoles is not the limiting factor.

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2026

Imagination was never the limiting factor for Poetic Kinetics creative director Patrick Shearn’s fourth project for Coachella.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

He cited the internal compute shortage as the limiting factor, which he predicted would clear up this year for his team.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

“The short life span has always been a prime limiting factor in education,” he told George and Julie.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "limiting factor" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com