statute of limitations

noun phrase

: a statute assigning a certain time after which rights cannot be enforced by legal action or offenses cannot be punished

Examples of statute of limitations in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The bill would change the statute of limitations for bringing employment lawsuits from five to three years. Rebecca Grapevine, The Courier-Journal, 16 Mar. 2024 Numerous other anti-Remini statements were dismissed because they were made more than a year prior to the filing of the lawsuit, thus falling outside the statute of limitations for defamation. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 For the songs that were properly identified, the band’s attorneys say the lawsuit is clearly barred by the statute of limitations. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 The statute of limitations had passed for criminal charges. Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2024 The statute of limitations has expired for any charge other than murder, KWWL reported. Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 Among the claims that DLR Group made in its lawsuit: The statute of limitations doesn’t bar the legal efforts to foreclose the lien. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 If an inspector had a case that was approaching the six-month statute of limitations, Quesada would give them a heads up. Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024 The case against Combs was filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which allows cases with significant time gaps to be filed outside the usual statute of limitations. Thania Garcia, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'statute of limitations.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of statute of limitations was in 1641

Dictionary Entries Near statute of limitations

Cite this Entry

“Statute of limitations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/statute%20of%20limitations. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

statute of limitations

1
a
: a statute establishing a period of time from the accrual of a cause of action (as upon the occurrence or discovery of an injury) within which a right of action must be exercised compare laches, statute of repose
b
: a criminal statute establishing the period of time within which an offense can be punished after its commission
2
: a period of time established by a statute of limitations for commencing an action or prosecution
3
: an affirmative defense that the statute of limitations has expired

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