speed limit

noun

: the maximum or minimum speed permitted by law in a given area under specified circumstances

Examples of speed limit in a Sentence

The speed limit here is 55 mph. She got a ticket for breaking the speed limit.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But in the days before speed limits, the performance of a luxury car was actually of use to its owner. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2025 Traffic moving north from La Grange, with its 25 mph speed limit, tended to speed up while traffic coming south from Westchester often failed to slow from the 40 mph limit there, officials said. Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025 Legislative proposals to increase speed limits on Florida interstate and other highways are cruising to passage. Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025 Global speeds seem to be controlled more by congestion than regulation with the ultimate test case being Germany, touted for its green energy policies, where decades of efforts have failed to impose speed limits on the autobahns. Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for speed limit

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of speed limit was in 1902

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speed limit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speed%20limit. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

speed limit

noun
: the highest or lowest speed allowed by law in a certain area

More from Merriam-Webster on speed limit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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