speed limit

noun

: 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
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.
Follow the nighttime speed limit of 45 miles per hour on U.S. Highway 26/89/191. Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2025 Make sure to respect the speed limits and the neighbors. Raul Roa, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025 In their haste to load super-chilled propellant onto the Falcon 9, SpaceX had found its speed limit. ArsTechnica, 5 May 2025 Those photos became critical to the case’s outcome after the at-fault driver took a photo of a speed limit sign installed five days following the crash. Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for speed limit

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of speed limit was in 1902

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speed limit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speed%20limit. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

speed limit

noun
: the highest or lowest speed allowed by law in a certain area

More from Merriam-Webster on speed limit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!