off-limits

American  

[awf-lim-its, of-] / ˈɔfˈlɪm ɪts, ˈɒf- /

adjective

1. forbidden to be patronized, frequented, used, etc., by certain persons.

   The tavern is off-limits to soldiers.

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off limits British  

adjective

1. not to be entered; out of bounds

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adverb

1. in or into an area forbidden by regulations

Etymology

Origin of off-limits

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55

Example Sentences

The topic of “taking work away from lawyers” was off-limits for a recent project promoting an e-legal review product, he said, so he focused on how it augmented employees’ work.

From The Wall Street Journal

Natural England says that in many places, new rights of access have opened land that was previously off-limits to the public - including beaches, dunes and cliff-tops between the path and the sea.

From BBC

They are rapidly transforming the betting landscape in the US, where sports betting was largely illegal until 2018 and gambling on elections had been off-limits for years until 2024.

From BBC

The Kim regime remains largely off-limits to foreign tourists—except for Russians.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is made from natural gas, and roughly 30% of global exports come from the Middle East, largely through the off-limits Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• banned
• barred
• illegal
• prohibited
• restricted