off-limits

adjective

off-lim·​its ˈȯf-ˈli-məts How to pronounce off-limits (audio)
Synonyms of off-limitsnext
: not to be entered or patronized especially by a designated class of people
Certain areas of the museum are off-limits to visitors.
also : not to be interfered with, considered, or spoken of
The subject of politics was off-limits in her family.

Examples of off-limits in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Three hikers — two Singaporeans and a local — who were in an off-limits area died Friday in an eruption of Indonesia's Mount Dukono volcano, officials said. CBS News, 8 May 2026 Three weeks before the Venice Biennale opens to press and invited guests on May 5, much of the city’s exhibition infrastructure remained off-limits or unfinished. Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026 With phones off-limits and social media largely kept at bay, what actually happens inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser remains mostly under wraps. Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 3 May 2026 After 105 years of English Football League existence, Anfield, Old Trafford and all those other Premier League cathedrals will remain strictly off-limits, barring the odd cup tie. Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 3 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-limits

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-limits was in 1945

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Cite this Entry

“Off-limits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-limits. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

off-limits

adjective
ˈȯ-ˈflim-əts
1
: not to be entered or used by a certain group of people
2
: not to be discussed or considered
questions about my salary are off-limits

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