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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.


speed limit British  

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of speed limit

First recorded in 1890–95

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:

Yet it barred Zoox taxis on roads with heavy rain, snow, large quantities of leaves or a speed limit of more than 45 miles an hour.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 23, 2026

Currently in the UK, there is no legal age restriction, speed limit or safety equipment requirement for the estimated 1.2m, external people who own private e-scooters.

From BBC Aug. 11, 2026

“This easing labor market dynamic, counterintuitively, raises the implied speed limit for GDP growth,” DeBusschere argues, now potentially putting it above 2%.

From MarketWatch Aug. 10, 2026

Shahsavani said she grew more concerned as the speed limit increased along with the number of cars on the road.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 24, 2026

“I’m afraid there’s a speed limit while traveling through here.”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

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