limited

American  

[lim-i-tid] / ˈlɪm ɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. confined within limits; restricted or circumscribed.

   a limited space; limited resources.

2. Government. restricted with reference to governing powers by limitations prescribed in laws and in a constitution, as in

3. characterized by an inability to think imaginatively or independently; lacking originality or scope; narrow.

   a rather limited intelligence.

4. Chiefly British.

   1. responsible for the debts of a company only to a specified amount proportionate to the percentage of stock held.

   2. (of a business firm) owned by stockholders, each having a restricted liability for the company's debts.

   3. (usually initial capital letter) incorporated; Inc. Ltd.

5. (of railroad trains, buses, etc.) making only a limited number of stops en route.

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noun

1. a limited train, bus, etc.

limited British  

/ ˈlɪmɪtɪd /

adjective

1. having a limit; restricted; confined

2. without fullness or scope; narrow

3. (of governing powers, sovereignty, etc) restricted or checked, by or as if by a constitution, laws, or an assembly

   limited government

4. (of a train) stopping only at certain stations and having only a set number of cars for passengers

5. (of a business enterprise) owned by shareholders whose liability for the enterprise's debts is restricted

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noun

1. a limited train, bus, etc

Other Word Forms

• limitedness
  noun
• limitedly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of limited

First recorded in 1545–55; limit + -ed ²

Explanation

If your gift certificate is only good for a limited amount of time, you have a specific number of days in which you can use it. Limited means short, small, or restricted by specific rules. When a rock concert has a limited number of seats, you may not be able to count on sitting down for the show. Likewise, it's tricky to open a business in a city with a limited amount of retail space. The adjective limited, which comes from the verb limit, was originally used to describe certain train routes — a limited was a term for an express train the late 1800's.

Example Sentences

The DXY dollar index rose to an 11-week high after the after the Fed turned more hawkish Wednesday, however Exness cautioned that gains could be limited by improving geopolitical sentiment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

The deal addresses the limited availability of HALEU, a critical fuel for next-generation reactors, previously produced at scale mainly by Russia and China.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Not only were ticket prices set astronomically high, with Fifa introducing a controversial dynamic pricing model, but only a limited number of tickets were made available to fans of each participating nation.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026

Although previous laboratory and experimental studies have suggested that some of these additives could affect cardiovascular health, evidence from human populations has been limited.

From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2026

“Whatever their real nature is, they’re unique among magical creatures because they aren’t limited to one kind of magic. You can find them anywhere, adapting to anything.”

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• diminished
• insufficient
• minimal
• narrow
• poor
• reduced
• restricted
• small