speed limit

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of speed limit

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Natalia admitted she may have been driving too fast on the unfamiliar road, which has a 40mph speed limit.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

They’ve found, at the one-year mark, that drivers traveling 10 mph or more above the posted speed limit went from 25% of all traffic to 6%.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Governments should lower the speed limit on highways by 6.2 miles an hour and enforce car sharing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Since 2023, 20mph has been the default speed limit on most urban roads in Wales.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

The witness, Kaiserman, said they were going fifty-five miles an hour, the speed limit.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel