c. 1400, "boundary, frontier," from Old French limite "a boundary," from Latin limitem (nominative limes) "a boundary, limit, border, embankment between fields," which is probably related to limen "threshold," and possibly from the base of limus "transverse, oblique," which is of uncertain origin. Originally of territory; general sense from early 15c. Colloquial sense of "the very extreme, the greatest degree imaginable" is from 1904.

1590s, from assimilated form of in- (1) "not" + limitable (see limit (v.)).

"forbidden, outside the limits within which a particular group or person must remain," by 1881, U.S. military academies jargon, from off (prep.) + limit (n.). Earlier (1857) it was applied to cadets, etc., who were in violation of the limitations on their movement and behavior.

"to mark or fix the boundaries of," 1852, from French délimiter (18c.), from Late Latin delimitare "to mark out as a boundary," from de (see de-) + limitare, from limitem, limes "boundary, limit" (see limit (n.)). Related: Delimited; delimiting.

late 14c., from Old French limitacion "restriction, legal limitation," and directly from Latin limitationem (nominative limitatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of limitare "to bound, limit, fix," from limes "boundary, limit" (see limit (n.)). Phrase statute of limitations is attested by 1768; it fixes and limits the period within which an action must be brought.