speed limit

American  

noun

speed limits plural

1. the maximum speed at which a vehicle is legally permitted to travel, as within a specific area, on a certain road, or under given conditions.

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speed limit British  

noun

1. the maximum permitted speed at which a vehicle may travel on certain roads

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• speed limits
  plural

Etymology

Origin of speed limit

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

speed limit

But since the speed limit, levels of NO2 have dropped below the legal threshold.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Jet skiers are traveling up to four times the speed limit and with children on board, a report says.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

They noted the economy was growing at a pace considered by most economists to be well above its natural speed limit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

The goal is to combat speeding and an alarming rise in traffic-related deaths by ticketing drivers going at least 10 mph over the speed limit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

Jamie laughs at how I go exactly the speed limit and not one mile per hour over.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman