限定
Meaning in Englishlimit, restriction
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
Limited or restricted in scope, availability, or applicability; used to denote items or propositions that are not universal but constrained to a subset.
Main meanings
- Boundaries and exclusions: describes things kept within defined limits or ranges
- Time- or quantity-based restriction: phrases like 期間限定 or 数量限定 indicate offerings restricted by time or stock
- As a verb 限定する: to set a limit or to restrict access or eligibility
How to use it
Used primarily as a noun or na-adjective; in marketing and formal language it precedes nouns to mark restriction, as in 期間限定商品 and 数量限定セール; in casual speech 限定の can modify nouns in promotional contexts, and 限定する is the verb form meaning to set a limit or restrict.
Variants and close terms
- 限定的 (genteiteki) limited in scope
- 限られた (kagirareta) restricted, finite
- 無制限 (museigen) unlimited
- 期間限定 (kikan gentei) limited-time
- 数量限定 (suryou gentei) limited-quantity
Composition
- 限 - limit, bound; 定 - determine, fix; combined to mean fixing a boundary or setting a limit
Etymology
From the two kanji 限 (limit) and 定 (decide; fix), forming a Sino-Japanese compound read gentei. The characters contribute the sense of establishing boundaries and determinations, yielding a word that expresses a defined boundary in various contexts.
Origin
Borrowed into Japanese through kanji from Chinese writing; became a common term in modern commerce and administration to denote restricted editions, offers, and rules.
Word class
noun (名詞), na-adjective (形容動詞)