Beschränkte

Beschränkte is the attributive form of the German adjective beschränkt, meaning restricted or limited. It comes from the verb beschränken and is used to describe something that is bounded or subject to limits. As an attributive adjective, beschränkte inflects according to gender, number, and article. For example: Die beschränkte Freiheit (feminine singular, with a definite article); Der beschränkte Raum (masculine singular, with a definite article); Ein beschränktes Gebiet (neuter singular, with an indefinite article); Beschränkte Mittel (plural, without an article).

In everyday language, beschränkte is often encountered as a past participle used adjectivally: for instance, beschränkte Mittel (limited resources) or eine beschränkte Reichweite (a limited range). The form kann also vary to fit the noun: die beschränkten Räume (plural with definite article) versus beschränkte Räume (plural without article).

In specialized contexts, the term is frequent in mathematics and the sciences. In mathematics, the adjective beschränkt describes a set or sequence that has finite bounds, as in eine beschränkte Menge (a bounded set) or eine beschränkte Folge. The noun form Beschränktheit denotes the property of being bounded.

Etymologically, beschränkt derives from the verb beschränken, which itself originates in Germanic roots meaning to constrain or bound, and it shares cognates with related terms in other Germanic languages that convey limitation or restriction.

See also: Beschränkung, Beschränkungen, Beschränktheit, Beschränkte (as a noun-form in rare cases).