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Definition of limitation noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

     

    limitation

     noun
    noun
    NAmE//ˌlɪməˈteɪʃn//
     
     
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  1. 1[uncountable] the act or process of limiting or controlling someone or something synonym restriction They would resist any limitation of their powers. Thesauruslimit
    • restriction
    • control
    • constraint
    • restraint
    • limitation
    These are all words for something that limits what you can do or what can happen.
    • limit the greatest or smallest amount of something that is allowed:The government has set strict limits on spending. the speed limit
    • restriction (somewhat formal) a rule or law that limits what you can do:There are no restrictions on the amount of money you can withdraw.
    • control (often in compounds) the act of limiting or managing something; a method of doing this:crowd control
    • constraint (somewhat formal) a fact or decision that limits what you can do:The agency is operating under severe budget constraints.
    • restraint (somewhat formal) a decision, a rule, an idea, etc. that limits what you can do; the act of limiting something because it is necessary or sensible to do so:The new law has imposed restraints on exports to Russia.
    • limitation the act or process of limiting something; a rule, fact, or condition that limits something:They would resist any limitation of their powers.
    restriction, constraint, restraint, or limitation?These are all things that limit what you can do. A restriction is a rule or law that is made by someone in authority. A constraint is something that exists rather than something that is made, although it may exist as a result of someone's decision. A restraint is also something that exists: it can exist outside yourself, as the result of someone else's decision; but it can also exist inside you, as a fear of what other people may think or as your own feeling about what is acceptable:moral/social/cultural restraints. A limitation is more general and can be a rule that someone makes or a fact or condition that exists.Patterns
    • limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations on something
    • limits/limitations to something
    • severe limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations
    • tight limits/restrictions/controls/constraints
    • to impose/remove limits/restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints/limitations
    • to ease/lift restrictions/controls/constraints/restraints
  2. 2[countable] limitation (on something) a rule, fact, or condition that limits something synonym curb, restraint to impose limitations on imports Disability is a physical limitation on your life. see statute of limitations
  3. 3[countable, usually plural] a limit on what someone or something can do or how good they or it can be This technique is useful, but it has its limitations. She has serious limitations as a poet. He was well aware of his own limitations.
See limitation in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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