# limited

/ˈɫɪmətəd/ (US) · /lˈɪmɪtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/limited
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. restricted or small

adjective · CEFR B1

kept within a certain size, amount, or area.

For teachers: restricted in size, amount, or extent; often used to describe resources or capabilities that are not infinite.

- The hotel has a limited number of rooms with a view of the ocean.
- The research team had to work with a limited budget, which forced them to prioritise the most critical experiments over secondary goals.

### 2. not very good or great

adjective · CEFR B2

not having much ability or not being very effective.

For teachers: lacking breadth of ability, influence, or effectiveness.

- His experience in marketing is limited, but he is very eager to learn.
- The initial success of the policy was limited by a lack of public awareness and insufficient infrastructure in rural areas.

### 3. business structure

adjective · CEFR B2 · British English

a type of company where the owners are only responsible for a fixed amount of debt.

For teachers: denoting a company (Ltd) where the liability of the shareholders is restricted to the amount they invested.

- He decided to register his small business as a limited company.
- The transition from a sole proprietorship to a private limited company provided the founders with significant protection against personal financial liability.

Usage: Usually follows the company name and is abbreviated as 'Ltd'.

### 4. express train

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Archaic

a fast train that only stops at a few important stations.

For teachers: a high-speed passenger train that stops only at a restricted number of major stations along its route.

- The midnight limited sped through the countryside without stopping at the small villages.
- In the early twentieth century, the luxury limited was the preferred mode of transport for businessmen travelling between Chicago and New York.

## Examples

- We have a limited amount of time to finish the work.
- The restaurant offers a limited menu on weeknights to ensure the kitchen can serve everyone quickly.
- Despite the team's limited resources and lack of formal training, they managed to develop a prototype that outperformed several commercial competitors.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.