Standard Lemma guide

limitation

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: L IH2 M IH0 T EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of limiting or the state of being limited.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A restriction; a boundary, real or metaphorical, caused by some thing or some circumstance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Getting into his wheelchair after his amputation, it felt like a limitation you could roll in.
  • He understood the exam material, but his fear was a limitation he could not overcome.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An imperfection or shortcoming that limits something's use or value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A time period after which some legal action may no longer be brought.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: law

Examples

  • The lawyer obtained impunity by dragging his obviously guilty client's case beyond the ten-year limitation.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

an act of limiting or restricting (as by regulation)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: restriction

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: regulation, regulating

Narrower terms: load-shedding, arms control, hold-down, freeze, clampdown

6

noun

Meaning 6

the quality of being limited or restricted

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it is a good plan but it has serious limitations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disadvantage

7

noun

Meaning 7

a principle that limits the extent of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I am willing to accept certain restrictions on my movements

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: restriction

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rule, regulation

Narrower terms: narrowness, quantification, restraint

8

noun

Meaning 8

the greatest amount of something that is possible or allowed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there are limits on the amount you can bet
  • it is growing rapidly with no limitation in sight

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: limit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: indefinite quantity

Narrower terms: extremum, peak, cutoff

9

noun

Meaning 9

(law) a time period after which suits cannot be brought

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • statute of limitations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: time limit

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin limitatio. Morphologically limit + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

71 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: սահմանափակում (sahmanapʻakum) — act of limiting
  • Bulgarian: ограничаване (ograničavane) — act of limiting
  • Catalan: limitació — act of limiting
  • Chinese Mandarin: 限制 (xiànzhì) — act of limiting
  • Danish: begrænsning — act of limiting
  • Dutch: begrenzing — act of limiting
  • Dutch: beperking — act of limiting
  • Dutch: inperking — act of limiting
  • Esperanto: limitado — act of limiting
  • Estonian: piiramine — act of limiting
  • Finnish: rajoitus — act of limiting
  • Finnish: rajoittaminen — act of limiting
  • French: limitation — act of limiting
  • German: Limitieren — act of limiting
  • German: Limitierung — act of limiting
  • German: Begrenzen — act of limiting
  • German: Begrenzung — act of limiting
  • Indonesian: pembatasan — act of limiting
  • Irish: teorannú — act of limiting
  • Italian: limitazione — act of limiting
  • Māori: aukatinga — act of limiting
  • Norwegian Bokmål: begrensning — act of limiting
  • Portuguese: limitação — act of limiting
  • Romanian: limitare — act of limiting
  • Russian: ограниче́ние (ograničénije) — act of limiting
  • Spanish: limitación — act of limiting
  • Armenian: սահմանափակում (sahmanapʻakum) — restriction that limits
  • Bulgarian: ограничение (ograničenie) — restriction that limits
  • Catalan: limitació — restriction that limits
  • Chinese Mandarin: 限制 (xiànzhì) — restriction that limits
  • Danish: begrænsning — restriction that limits
  • Dutch: grens — restriction that limits
  • Dutch: beperking — restriction that limits
  • Esperanto: limo — restriction that limits
  • Esperanto: limigo — restriction that limits
  • Estonian: piirang — restriction that limits
  • Finnish: rajoitus — restriction that limits
  • French: limitation — restriction that limits
  • German: Limitierung — restriction that limits
  • German: Einschränkung — restriction that limits
  • Indonesian: batasan — restriction that limits
  • Italian: limitazione — restriction that limits
  • Malayalam: പരിമിതി (parimiti) — restriction that limits
  • Māori: aukatinga — restriction that limits
  • Norwegian Bokmål: begrensning — restriction that limits
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avgrensing — restriction that limits
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avgrensing — restriction that limits
  • Portuguese: limitação — restriction that limits
  • Romanian: limitare — restriction that limits
  • Russian: ограниче́ние (ograničénije) — restriction that limits
  • Sanskrit: अवधारण (avadhāraṇa) — restriction that limits
  • Spanish: limitación — restriction that limits
  • Spanish: cortapisa — restriction that limits
  • Chinese Mandarin: 局限性 (júxiànxìng) — imperfection which limits
  • Dutch: beperking — imperfection which limits
  • Esperanto: limigo — imperfection which limits
  • Esperanto: limigeco — imperfection which limits
  • Finnish: rajoitus — imperfection which limits
  • German: Einschränkung — imperfection which limits
  • Indonesian: keterbatasan — imperfection which limits
  • Malayalam: കുറവ് (kuṟavŭ) — imperfection which limits
  • Russian: ограниче́ние (ograničénije) — imperfection which limits
  • Bulgarian: давност (davnost) — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
  • Chinese Mandarin: 訴訟時效 /诉讼时效 — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
  • Dutch: verjaringstermijn — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
  • Finnish: vanhentumisaika — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
  • German: Verjährungsfrist — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
  • Irish: cinnteacht — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
  • Romanian: termen de prescripție — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
  • Russian: срок да́вности (srok dávnosti) — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
  • Thai: อายุความ (aa-yú-kwaam) — time period — see also statute of limitations, prescription
Real reading context

limitation in complete knowledge articles

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