off-limits
adjective
forbidden to be patronized, frequented, used, etc., by certain persons.
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off-limits
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off limits
off limitsadjectivenot to be entered; out of bounds
off-limits
American
[awf-lim-its, of-]
/ ˈɔfˈlɪm ɪts, ˈɒf- /
adjective
off limits
British
adjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of off-limits
An Americanism dating back to 1950–55
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.
See Examples For:
Los Angeles Animal Services staff argued that evidence dogs were kept largely off-limits for volunteers to walk because, unlike other animals at the shelter, the dogs weren’t the property of the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
On Martha’s Vineyard, “beach keys” are the ultimate status symbol, giving affluent property owners entry to secluded stretches of sand that are off-limits to the masses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Demining operations have now seen most residents return to their homes, however the mayor has said certain areas are still off-limits.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Unless cooked, vegetables such as green peppers, green onions, tomatoes and mushrooms were also off-limits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
The other food—sliced turkey, ham, roast beef, and salami, a big tub of tuna salad, and meatballs in a plug-in pot—was off-limits.
From "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead
The field has been off limits to use for weeks since the school began an investigation last month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Andy Burnham previously told First Minister John Swinney that a second referendum was "off limits".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
But for more than a century, the architectural marvel created to support it remained off limits and largely unknown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Behind him, a largely automated line of chemical vats is off limits to cameras because the process is patented by a Canadian company, Excir.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Ellsberg disregarded that stamp on documents all the time, but in this case, his boss warned, the papers really were off limits.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
