limited
limited — adjective
1. present or available only in a quantity that is not enough for what people need
present or available only in a quantity that is not enough for what people need or want
The refugee camp had only limited supplies of clean water.
limited + uncountable noun (supplies, time, space)
With her limited budget, Nala could not afford to rent a bigger apartment.
Parking space near the train station is very limited during weekday mornings.
The scholarship covers only a limited number of students each year.
Doctors warned that the new treatment offered only limited hope of recovery.
- restricted
emphasises a rule or boundary that keeps something within a range
- finite
more mathematical or technical; suggests a measurable endpoint
- scarce
stronger sense of shortage; implies what exists is barely enough
文法句型
be + limited
limited + noun
用法筆記
Often modified by adverbs such as 'very', 'quite', 'extremely', or 'severely' to indicate the degree of scarcity.
常見錯誤
2. kept within an established boundary of size, time, number, or scope — for exampl
kept within an established boundary of size, time, number, or scope — for example, a limited-edition product, a limited-time offer, or access limited to certain people
The museum released a limited-edition print signed by the artist.
limited-edition (compound adjective for exclusive items)
This special price is available for a limited time only.
limited time (time-bound offer)
Access to the research lab is limited to authorised staff and students.
The restaurant has limited seating, so Femi made a reservation a week ahead.
Christopher bought a limited number of shares in the start-up company.
- restricted
emphasises an imposed rule or limitation
- confined
suggests physical or spatial boundaries
- fixed
implies a definite, unchangeable upper limit
- unrestricted
with no boundaries or rules limiting access or use
文法句型
limited to + noun
limited + noun
用法筆記
When followed by 'to', the phrase 'limited to' specifies the exact boundary. Frequently used in notices and official writing (e.g., 'limited to 20 guests').
常見錯誤
3. written after a company's official title to indicate that shareholders are legal
written after a company's official title to indicate that shareholders are legally responsible only up to the amount of money they put into the business
Sahil works for a small engineering firm called Patel Engineering Ltd.
Company Name + Ltd.
The legal name of the business is GreenTech Solutions Limited.
All invoices should be sent to the finance department of Hampton Insurance Ltd.
She registered her start-up as Bright Future Healthcare Limited last March.
文法句型
[Company Name] + Limited
[Company Name] + Ltd.
用法筆記
Common in British, Australian, and many Commonwealth legal systems. In American English, the equivalent is 'Inc.' (Incorporated) or 'LLC'. 'Limited' is always written with a capital L when part of a registered company name.
常見錯誤
4. showing a narrow range of knowledge, skill, or creativity; not as good, broad, o
showing a narrow range of knowledge, skill, or creativity; not as good, broad, or imaginative as expected
The critic described the director's latest film as technically solid but artistically very limited.
criticising creative work as limited
Lan's cooking skills are limited to boiling rice and frying eggs.
limited to + basic skills only
His narrow-minded comments showed how limited his worldview really is.
The student's essay was marked down for its limited range of vocabulary.
Valentina felt frustrated by her limited understanding of the local language and customs.
- narrow
focuses on lack of breadth or range
- mediocre
stronger value judgment; means of only average or below-average quality
- restricted
sometimes overlaps, but 'restricted' more often refers to imposed boundaries than personal shortcomings
- broad
covering a wide range of topics or skills
- comprehensive
thorough and covering all aspects
文法句型
limited + noun (range, understanding, view)
limited to + basic/simple + noun
用法筆記
In this sense, 'limited' has a negative, critical tone. It implies that something or someone falls short of a reasonable standard. Often appears in evaluations of people, art, thinking, or skills. Not interchangeable with 'restricted' in this critical sense.