limitation

The act of limiting or the state of being limited.

A limiting rule or condition; a restriction.

A shortcoming or defect.

A period established by statute during which a lawsuit or criminal prosecution must be initiated.

The act of bounding or circumscribing; the fixing of a limit or restriction.

The condition of being limited, bounded, or circumscribed; restriction.

An opposing limit or bound; a fixed or prescribed restriction; a restraining condition, defining circumstance, or qualifying conception: as, limitations of thought.

That to which one is limited; that which is required as a condition.

In law: The period of time prescribed by law after which an action cannot be brought. Since the investigation of controversies becomes more difficult with the lapse of time, and long delay to sue may imply either that satisfaction has been received or that all claim is abandoned, and as it is vexatious to revive stale claims, the law allows fixed periods, varying with the nature of the grievance, within which, if at all, a claimant must apply to the courts.

In the law of conveyancing, the carving out of an estate less than a fee simple absolute (see fee); the prescribing of an ulterior direction for the devolution of an estate in case the estate of the primary grantee shall fail.