If I were to limit something, does that mean I could limit it to a state of non-existence or none? Like if someone limits your abilities to talk can that entail that they prevent you from talking altogether? Does limit entail any reduction of whatever noun that comes after it or any reduction with the exception of a complete reduction.
4
-
Placing a "limit" on something means establishing a barrier beyond which it cannot go. You can put a dog inside a fence and "limit" him to the fenced-in area, but he can still move around in that area.– Hot LicksCommented Oct 10, 2016 at 23:09
-
@HotLicks but the question is in the context of your example, whether we can limit something to the point in which that dog cannot exist within the confines on the fenced in area. Or to a point in which that fenced in area doesn't exist because the limits are set to the smallest possible dimensions.– Yohan WangCommented Oct 10, 2016 at 23:29
-
You can always make the fenced area so small that the dog does not comfortably fit inside it and is squashed to death. Zero can be a "limit".– Hot LicksCommented Oct 10, 2016 at 23:41
-
You are limited to posting zero questions from now on. Nah, not really. But yes, you can be limited to doing nothing, being nothing, etc. A limit is nothing more than a restriction. You can restrict the entire universe, resulting in the empty set. No problem.– DrewCommented Oct 11, 2016 at 1:41
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
With quasi-real commodities such as money, zero amounts are possible. Thus a 'zero spending limit' is appliable.
According to Adrian B at Advertisercommunity.com:
Some banks configure the cards with a zero spending limit for internet unsecure transactions.
One could likewise limit one's time abroad to zero, though one would usually choose a more idiomatic way to express this.
However, limiting real spaces, amounts of material etc will not always be feasible below certain finite – er – limits.
answered Oct 10, 2016 at 23:41
Consider the definition of limit on Google:
limit: a restriction on the size or amount of something permissible or possible
If I were to put limits on your talking, at an all-day meeting I've organized, say, I could limit your talking to no more than one hour total, to no more than five minutes total, or to not talking at all -- because I just want you there to observe and take notes. One hour, five minutes, and no talking at all are perfectly fine limits. There is nothing about the definition of limit that rules out the "limiting case" of a complete prohibition.
answered Oct 11, 2016 at 0:33
