To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of speed limit
: the maximum or minimum speed permitted by law in a given area under specified circumstances
Examples of speed limit in a Sentence
The speed limit here is 55 mph.
She got a ticket for breaking the speed limit.
Recent Examples on the Web Much to my surprise, my view in the mirror was of a woman driving a white SUV barreling down on me in my lane at what had to be the posted speed limit of 40 mph.
—
Letter Writers, Twin Cities, "Letters: As the SUV barreled down on me, what did I see?," 5 Oct. 2019 Speed cameras issue tickets to motorists caught driving more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
—
Washington Post, "Bowser does an end run around D.C. Council and transfers speed- and red-light camera program to DDOT," 1 Oct. 2019 Kenny slowly rolled down his driver’s window, tossed a small gray sound-making device toward the officer and then made a U-turn and drove away within the posted speed limit, the suit says.
—
oregonlive, "Parents of Springfield man with schizophrenia who was shot by police file wrongful death suit," 21 Sep. 2019 The driver at the time had been pulled over several times in the previous eight years, BuzzFeed found: twice for going more than 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, and once for running a stop sign.
—
Kate Cox, Ars Technica, "Amazon delivery contractors operate with little oversight, report finds," 3 Sep. 2019 Just a block away, meantime, cars zipped along Center Street well above the posted speed limit.
—
James E. Causey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "We asked Milwaukee residents about reckless driving. They're fed up.," 9 July 2019 The Athletic reported that Jackson was driving 25 to 39 mph above the posted speed limit in Denver when he was stopped, according to court records.
—
Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, "NFL suspends Kareem Jackson for remainder of 2019 season," 17 Dec. 2019 It is estimated that Silvashy was going 10 mph above the speed limit of 35 mph.
—
Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Recent Miami graduate pronounced dead after car crashes into traffic sign," 23 Aug. 2019 But driving above the speed limit isn’t just alarming; such risky behavior endangers everyone else on the road.
—
Rebecca Renner, USA TODAY, "These 5 annoying driver behaviors are more dangerous than you think," 8 Aug. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'speed limit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on speed limit
What made you want to look up speed limit? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Thing: Flower Edition
- Name that flower
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share speed limit
Time Traveler for speed limit
The first known use of speed limit was in 1902
See more words from the same year