limitation
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a rule or situation that limits what you can do or how far you can go.
a limiting rule or circumstance that restricts scope or freedom of action.
Simple“The new law puts a strict limitation on how much noise factories can make.”
In context“The budget imposes a severe limitation on the scope of the research project, forcing the team to focus only on local data.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a weakness or a lack of ability that stops someone or something from being better.
a failing or lack of capacity which prevents a person or thing from achieving a higher standard.
Simple“He is a great writer, but he knows his limitations when it comes to poetry.”
In context“The software is powerful, yet users must be aware of its technical limitations when processing extremely large datasets.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
a fixed period of time during which you are allowed to start a legal case.
a legally prescribed period after which a right cannot be enforced or a crime cannot be prosecuted.
Simple“The case was dropped because the legal limitation for the crime had passed.”
In context“The defence argued that the statute of limitations had expired, rendering the plaintiff's claim for damages legally void.”
Usageoften used in the phrase 'statute of limitations'
Usage acknowledge limitation · additional limitation · address limitation
“It addresses limitations in existing models, which are often designed for organizations in other industries.”
“The researchers note several important limitations to the findings.”
Borrowed from Latin limitatio. Morphologically limit + -ation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.