limited

adjective

lim·​it·​ed ˈli-mə-təd 

1

a

: confined within limits : restricted

limited success

b

of a train : offering faster service especially by making a limited number of stops

2

: characterized by enforceable limitations prescribed (as by a constitution) upon the scope or exercise of powers

a limited monarchy

3

: lacking breadth and originality

a bit limited; a bit thick in the head

—Virginia Woolf

limitedly adverb

limitedness noun

Synonyms

• restricted
• finite
• defined
• definite

Examples of limited in a Sentence

Only a limited number of students will be allowed in the class.

People with limited incomes are hit particularly hard by inflation.

The company has had limited success.

Recent Examples on the Web

Buses are a major mode of transport in Mexico, where, though freight trains are common, passenger rail routes remain limited. —Lizbeth Diaz, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025

And with the aircraft manufacturing industry effectively a duopoly between Boeing and Airbus, options are limited. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025

The jeans are currently 21 percent off for a limited time. —Averi Baudler, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Gen Z came of age in this environment, a generation with limited trust in institutions—and in each other. —Alice Lassman, Time, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing limited

• limited-access
• limited edition
• limited liability
• limited liability partnership
• limited partner
• limited partnership
• limited war
• self-limited
• sex-limited

Rhymes for limited

• delimited
• unlimited

Kids Definition

limited

adjective

lim·​it·​ed

1

: held within limits

2

: having constitutional limitations placed on the exercise of power

a limited monarchy

limitedly adverb

limitedness noun