limit

«limit» in Mova's school dictionary: the greatest (or smallest) amount that is allowed or… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a limit, limits); verb (limit, limits, limited, limiting)

meaning for a pupil

1) A limit is the greatest (or smallest) amount that is allowed or possible: a speed limit. tree →

2) A limit is the edge or end of a place or area: the city limits. tree →

3) To limit something is to keep it to a certain amount: limit screen time. tree →

sense in the lessons

In maths, a limit is the most you can have: «at most», «up to», «no more than». In everyday life and safety: speed limits on roads, time limits on tests, age limits on rides and games, screen time limits; limits keep people safe. Phrases: speed limit, time limit, age limit, off limits (not allowed), within limits, the sky is the limit (no limit).

examples

• The speed limit here is 30. tree →
• There is a time limit of one hour for the test. tree →
• Mum limits my screen time. tree →
• The kitchen is off limits during cooking. tree →
• You must be 120 cm tall to go on this ride, that is the height limit. tree →
• I have reached my limit, I cannot eat any more. tree →
• Limit each answer to three sentences. tree →
• With hard work, the sky is the limit. tree →

note

Countable as a noun. Past: limited (one t). Adjective: limited (small or not much). Maths: «a limit of 5» means 5 or less is allowed; 6 would be over the limit. Speed limits are in km/h in Canada, Australia, NZ and Ireland, but in mph in the USA and UK.

In the corpora

• Hospitals limit visiting hours and the number of visitors so patients can rest and doctors and nurses can work.
• A speed camera photographs cars going over the limit, and the driver must pay a fine and may get points on their licence.
• Speed limits exist because faster cars cause worse accidents, especially near schools and homes.
• A free country gives people many freedoms, like speaking and voting, but freedom still has limits set by law.
• Flattery about yourself is not true just because it is nice; you thank people and stay honest about your limits.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «limit» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.