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

• limitedly adverb
• limitedness noun

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

But the pied-à-terre tax would burden a narrow and administratively complex tax base, and it would only raise limited revenue.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

However, Cerebras warned that a “substantial portion” of its revenue is driven by a limited number of customers, namely two firms in the United Arab Emirates.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

She was ambitious, but as a poor young mother in Depression-era Texas, her options were limited.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The country’s limited social safety net causes people — especially women like Simmons — to face impossible choices.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

This limited them to very short feeding periods at dusk.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

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