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limited

LIM-i-tid/ˈlɪmɪtɪd/

6 meanings of limited

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  1. 1
    adjective
    Restricted in amount, number, or extent; small, few, or not plentiful.

    Seating for the concert is limited, so reserve your tickets early.

    The expedition carried limited supplies and had to ration food by the second week.

    UsageOften a polite or measured way to say little or few: limited time, a limited understanding; also very limited, more limited.

    Similarscarce, scant, meager, sparse

    Oppositeunlimited, plentiful, abundant, ample

  2. 2
    with conditionsadjective
    Subject to certain restrictions, often expressly stated, on its scope, duration, or application.

    The company offers a limited warranty that covers parts but not labor.

    Her power of attorney is limited to financial decisions, not medical ones.

    UsageOften limited to something (limited to weekends); set phrases include a limited warranty and a limited edition.

    Similarrestricted, qualified

    Oppositeunlimited, unrestricted, absolute

    Note

    Here the point is the boundary, not the size. A limited edition may still run to five hundred prints, and a limited power of attorney can be broad within its scope. What matters is that a line has been drawn, usually stated outright: limited to financial decisions. That is the test against the "scarce" meaning. Ask whether something is fenced in or simply in short supply.

    Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • A limited edition can comprise five hundred prints. kirstymitchell.art
    • A limited power of attorney can grant extensive authority within expressly selected subjects, including financial matters. mgaleg.maryland.gov
  3. 3
    verb
    Past tense and past participle of limit.

    City officials limited water use during the long drought.

    Ticket sales have been limited to four per customer.

    UsageSpelled with one t (not incorrect: limitted), unlike permitted; often with to: limited us to one hour.

    Note

    One spelling does double duty: it is the simple past (officials limited water use) and the past participle after have or be (sales have been limited). As a passive participle it shades easily into the adjective of set restrictions, and in a sentence like the offer is limited to members the two readings are hard to separate.

  4. 4
    company nameadjectiveUKbritish
    Placed after the name of a company to indicate that its owners' liability for its debts is capped at the amount they invested.

    The contract was signed on behalf of Northgate Logistics Limited by its managing director.

    When Ashdown Textiles Limited went into administration, its shareholders lost only what they had put into the business.

    UsageComes last in the name, with a capital, and is usually shortened to Ltd; US companies more often use Inc. or LLC.

    Oppositeunlimited

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    not talentedadjective
    Of a person, modest in intelligence, skill or talent, and able to handle only a narrow range of things well.

    Critics dismissed him as a limited actor who could play only one kind of role.

    Her opponent was technically limited but made up for it with sheer stamina.

    UsageUsually said of someone's ability in a role: a limited actor, technically limited. It is a criticism, even when the word sounds mild.

    Similarmediocre, unexceptional

    Oppositeversatile, talented, gifted

  2. 6
    express trainnouncountable
    An express train that halts at only a small number of scheduled stops.

    The limited pulled out of Union Station at exactly noon.

    Commuters who can afford the surcharge prefer the limited to the slower local.

    Similarexpress

    Oppositelocal

    Note

    Railroads turned the adjective into a noun, with the plural limiteds. A limited is the train that skips most stations, in contrast to the local that calls at all of them. The word also became part of train names, capitalized, as in the Twentieth Century Limited. Write it in lowercase for the kind of train and capitalize it only as part of a name.

    Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • The railway noun has the plural limiteds. en.wiktionary.org
    • Limited appeared as part of the train name Twentieth Century Limited. hoover.org

limited is a form of limit

limit, verb: To restrict something or keep it from going beyond a certain point or boundary. Full entry

Forms
limitlimits he/she/itlimiting -ing formlimited past tense, past participle
Spelling
limit → limited: add -ed
Sound
The ending sounds like /ɪd/, an extra syllable.

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