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limit

n. · v.
US //ˈɫɪmət// UK //lˈɪmɪt// lim·it
  1. 1 a boundary or restriction (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the greatest amount or level of something that is allowed or possible.

    the final or furthest point, edge, or boundary beyond which something does not or may not extend.

    Example

    There is a strict speed limit of thirty miles per hour on this road.

    Example

    The legal team argued that the company had reached the upper limit of its borrowing capacity under the current credit agreement.
  2. 2 mathematical value (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Math

    a value that a series of numbers gets closer and closer to.

    a fixed value that a sequence or function approaches as the variable or index increases or decreases.

    Example

    The students learned how to calculate the limit of the function as x approaches zero.

    Example

    The proof demonstrates that the sequence has a finite limit, confirming that the series converges rather than diverges toward infinity.
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  1. 3 an annoying person (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal British English

    someone or something that is very annoying or hard to tolerate.

    a person or situation that is perceived as exasperating or intolerable.

    Example

    He really is the limit sometimes, always arriving late and forgetting his wallet.

    Example

    Her constant interruptions during the briefing were quite the limit, testing the patience of even the most composed managers.
  2. 4 to restrict (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to stop something from increasing or to keep it below a certain point.

    to set a boundary or restriction on the amount, size, or range of something.

    Example

    You should try to limit the amount of sugar you eat every day.

    Example

    The government decided to limit the number of new visas issued this year to manage the sudden influx of seasonal workers.

    Usage

    This is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Etymology 1

From Middle English limit, from Old French limit, from Latin līmes (“a cross-path or balk between fields, hence a boundary, boundary line or wall, any path or road, border, limit”). Displaced native Old English ġemǣre. Doublet of limes.

Etymology 2

From Middle English limiten, from Old French limiter, from Latin līmitō (“to bound, limit, fix, determine”), from līmes; see noun.

Word family

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