A limit is a point you can't or shouldn't go beyond. When your parents set a speed limit for their car, they're establishing the maximum speed allowed. When a bridge has a weight limit, engineers have calculated the most it can safely hold. Limits mark boundaries: they tell us where something stops.

In everyday life, limits appear constantly. A library might limit how many books you can check out. A teacher might set a time limit for a quiz. Your body has limits too: you can only run so fast, stay awake so long, or hold your breath for so many seconds.

The word can also mean to restrict or control something. A coach might limit playing time to keep athletes from getting too tired. A city might limit construction noise to certain hours. When you limit yourself to one cookie, you're exercising self-control by stopping at a boundary you've chosen.

Sometimes people talk about pushing limits or testing limits, which means trying to see how far something can go. Athletes push their physical limits in training. Scientists push the limits of technology. But knowing your limits, whether in a sport, a friendship, or a challenge, helps you make wise decisions about what you can handle and when to stop.