What does limitable mean?
“Limitable” is an adjective meaning capable of being limited or restricted. It describes a resource, range, process, influence, or other phenomenon whose extent can be bounded, assigned a maximum, or otherwise brought under control. The word is relatively uncommon in ordinary conversation but is especially useful in technical, academic, and formal writing. Its important distinction is from “limited”: a limitable quantity is one that can be restricted, while a limited quantity is already restricted. Thus, a system may have a limitable capacity without actually being limited under current conditions. The suffix “-able” emphasizes possibility, making the word appropriate when discussing limits in principle rather than describing an existing constraint.
adjectiveCapable of being limited or restricted. The word is used mainly in technical, formal, or older contexts, especially in discussions of systems, resources, or processes whose extent can be controlled.
- Capable of being limited, restricted, or assigned a finite extent.
"The device has a limitable operating range, but it cannot be used safely beyond its rated capacity."
"The application provides a limitable number of simultaneous connections."
"Historians have argued that the influence of the movement was more limitable than its opponents first claimed."
A limitable resource is not necessarily a limited one: the first can be capped, while the second has already been capped.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does limitable come from?
“Limitable” was formed in English from the established noun and verb “limit” with the suffix “-able,” which expresses the possibility of being acted upon in a particular way. The underlying word “limit” comes through Old French from Latin “limen” or “limes,” meaning “boundary” or “threshold.” Related English forms include “limitation,” “limited,” and “unlimited,” all of which share the same conceptual and historical root.
Related word forms
How limitable is actually used
Relatively uncommon and more typical of technical, academic, or formal writing than of everyday speech. It usually describes something whose scope or quantity can be restricted, rather than something that is restricted at the time of reference.
Easily confused with limitable
“Limitable” means that something can be limited, whereas “limited” means that it is already restricted or constrained.