limited-government
|lim-it-ed-go-vern-ment|
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/ˌlɪmɪtɪd ˈɡʌvərnmənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌlɪmɪtɪd ˈɡʌvənmənt/
government with restricted power
Etymology
'limited-government' is a compound of 'limited' and 'government'. 'limited' ultimately comes from Latin 'līmitāre'/'līmitus' (related to 'līmes') meaning 'boundary' or 'limit', and 'government' comes from Old French 'governement' from Latin 'gubernāre' meaning 'to steer, to govern'.
'limited' developed from Latin into Old French and Middle English forms (via words like 'limit'/'limite') and became the English adjective 'limited'; 'government' entered English from Old French 'governement' (from Latin 'gubernāre', itself from Greek 'κυβερνᾶν' 'kybernan', to steer) and evolved into the modern English 'government'. The compound phrase 'limited government' arose in English usage to describe governments constrained by law or constitution.
Originally the components referred literally to 'a boundary/limit' and 'the act of governing/steering'; over time the compound came to mean the political idea/practice that governing power should be legally constrained — from literal 'bounded rule' to the modern concept of constitutional or legally restricted government.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a system or form of government whose powers are restricted by law, a constitution, or other legal mechanisms in order to protect individual rights and prevent abuse of power.
The constitution established a limited government to ensure checks and balances and protect civil liberties.
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Noun 2
the political principle or doctrine that government should have only those powers granted by law or the people, often associated with separation of powers and rule of law.
Supporters of limited government argue that concentrating power leads to corruption and loss of freedoms.
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Last updated: 2025/11/24 08:58