limitada

Limitada is the feminine form of the adjective limitado/limitada in Spanish and Portuguese, meaning restricted, bounded, or finite. In linguistic use it describes something that has defined limits or is subject to constraints. In legal and business contexts, limitado or limitada often appears in the designation of company forms that imply limited liability.

In Portuguese-speaking countries, the term is closely associated with private limited liability companies. The formal designation is Sociedade Limitada, commonly abbreviated as Lda. or Ltda. A Sociedade Limitada typically has capital divided into quotas (quotas) rather than shares, and the liability of the members is limited to their capital contributions. In Brazil and Portugal, this form is widely used for small and medium-sized enterprises and contrasts with public or joint-stock structures.

In Spanish-speaking countries, the standard private company form is Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (SRL or S. de RL). The word limitada can appear in longer official names or descriptions but is not usually used as a standalone designation like in Portugal or Brazil. Different countries employ varying abbreviations and naming conventions, but all share the common principle of limited liability for the owners.

Etymologically, limitada derives from Latin limen or limitare, through the Romance-language verb limitar, and functions syntactically as the feminine adjective agreeing with a feminine noun such as sociedad or empresa in many contexts.

Limitada thus operates as both a general descriptor for restrictions and a specific legal term signaling limited liability in company names within several Lusophone jurisdictions, with analogous concepts in Spanish-speaking regions.