off-limits

[ awf-lim-its, of- ]

/ ˈɔfˈlɪm ɪts, ˈɒf- /

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See synonyms for off-limits on Thesaurus.com

adjective

forbidden to be patronized, frequented, used, etc., by certain persons: The tavern is off-limits to soldiers.

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Origin of off-limits

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use off-limits in a sentence

Term limits could be a prescription to speed change along.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Elsewhere, courts throughout the country have placed limits on speech this year.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In other words, the Air Force is saying that its drone force has been stretched to its limits.
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ‘Breaking Point,’ Air Force Says|Dave Majumdar|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
I went out, and found a Mont de Piet, just beyond the limits of the Principality; they aren't allowed inside.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
And it is quite true that the particular employer can no more break away from these limits than he can jump out of his own skin.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Champlain limits this appellation to the tribes that dwell upon the Ottawa.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
First of all comes astronomy, including the phenomena exhibited in the heavens, beyond the limits of the earth's atmosphere.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler

British Dictionary definitions for off-limits

off limits

adjective (off-limits when prenominal)

not to be entered; out of bounds

adverb

in or into an area forbidden by regulations

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

off-limits

Origin of off-limits

Words related to off-limits

How to use off-limits in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for off-limits