Limit
/ˈlɪmɪt/
Definitions
2 meaningsA point, edge, or boundary beyond which something cannot pass.
/ˈlɪmɪt/
A point or level beyond which something does not or may not pass.
The speed limit on this road is 55 miles per hour.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing a game where you can only score up to 10 points. The limit is 10 points. You can't go over it!
👶 For kids: The end of something. Like, the end of a road, or the most you can eat.
More Examples
There is a limit to how much information I can process at once.
The company imposed a spending limit on all employees' travel expenses.
How It's Used
"There is a spending limit on my credit card."
"The speed of light is a fundamental limit in physics."
"I have a limit to how much I can tolerate."
To set or serve as a limit to; restrict.
/ˈlɪmɪt/
To restrict or keep something within certain bounds.
The company decided to limit the number of employees allowed in the office.
💡 Simply: Imagine your mom says you can only eat two cookies. She's limiting you to two cookies! It's about controlling how much you can do or have.
👶 For kids: To stop something from going past a certain point, like when your mom says, "No more toys!"
More Examples
The doctor limited his patient's sugar intake.
We need to limit our spending if we want to save money.
How It's Used
"The judge limited the testimony to relevant facts."
"The teacher limited the time students had for the test."
"They agreed to limit their requests to a few key points."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
the sky's the limit
Used to emphasize that there are no limitations to something, especially someone's ambitions.
"With this new technology, the sky's the limit!"
within limits
Not exceeding a certain boundary or restriction.
"The project is proceeding well, within limits."
push the limits
To test the boundaries of what is possible or acceptable.
"The athlete is always pushing the limits of human performance."
From Latin *līmes* meaning 'boundary, border'. It entered English in the 14th century.
Historically, 'limit' has been used to denote both physical boundaries and abstract constraints, such as moral or financial ones. Early uses often related to geography and territorial borders.
Memory tip
Think of the edge of a race track or a line in the sand – that's the limit.
Word Origin
"boundary, border, path"