off-limits
adjective
forbidden to be patronized, frequented, used, etc., by certain persons.
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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:
New features that will be automatically engaged on accounts of users ages 13 to 17 include daily time limits, nighttime off-limits hours and reduced functionality during school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
He’s watched movies about parents who have lost children and then kept their bedroom off-limits, preserved just as it was the day they died.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
"For too long, outdated restrictions have kept tens of millions of forested acres off-limits to the very treatments that improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk to our communities."
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Unless cooked, vegetables such as green peppers, green onions, tomatoes and mushrooms were also off-limits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
Not only were we not allowed to run water during the day, but the bathroom was also off-limits.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
In a statement on Instagram on Monday, the mayor wrote that access to the ocean, a campsite, and the village of La Jenny remained off limits.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Direct Roth IRA contributions are off limits for single filers with modified adjusted gross incomes of $168,000 or more and couples with incomes of $252,000 or more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
But some things were off limits for AI, including Kingsley’s performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz off limits, ships have been diverted to Oman and Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast with containers then shipped onwards overland.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
“Percy, traveling in the Mediterranean is a different level of danger altogether. It’s been off limits to Roman demigods for centuries. No hero in his right mind would go there.”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
