serve as a limit

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "serve as a limit" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing boundaries, restrictions, or constraints in various contexts, such as rules, regulations, or physical parameters. Example: "The new policy will serve as a limit on the amount of overtime employees can work each week."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

State legislatures cannot claim copyright to their statutes, because legislatures are not considered authors for the purposes of copyright law, and because the public's due process rights to access the law serve as a limit on the copyrightability of state statutes.

Cornell University

Again, one should recognize that the concept of proximate cause may at most serve as a limit, a device for selecting the best spreader out of a group of potentially liable actors who were originally identified on the basis of causation principles irrelevant to spreading...

Harvard University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

This suggests that short-term memory is important to concept learning and that short-term memory can often serve as a limiting factor in performance.

Encyclopedia Britannica

As we concluded earlier, §1252(f) plainly serves as a limit on injunctive relief rather than a jurisdictional grant.

Cornell University

Thus, the required project completion date serves as a limit or deadline on how late the completion of the project can be.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

Consistent with these ends, §102 of the Patent Act serves as a limiting provision, both excluding ideas that are in the public domain from patent protection and confining the duration of the monopoly to the statutory term.

Cornell University

Our inability to randomize patients to conditions serves as a limiting factor, with results perhaps applying only to those particularly motivated to commit to an extended training period for mindfulness.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

In 1942 Finn was commissioned, and served as a Limited Duty Officer with the rank of ensign.

Wikipedia

Much as the Gaussian model serves as a limiting distribution for a range of statistical processes, the Tweedie models, which include the Gaussian distribution as a special case, represent limiting distributions for a range of non-Gaussian processes.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

The small active area (∼180 μm in diameter) of the silicon APD detector serves as a limiting aperture to exclude laser light scattered from the cuvette windows and the sheath fluid.

ACS Nano

There is a disagreement whether chronic treatment with EPO is associated with activation of NO, which serves as a limiting factor to EPO-related hypertension (Kanagy et al., 2003) or, in the opposite view, chronic application of EPO results in depression of NO synthase and actually may cause hypertension (Wang and Vaziri, 1999).

Biology Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "serve as a limit", ensure that the context clearly defines what is being limited and the nature of the limitation. For instance, "The budget will serve as a limit on project spending."

Common error

Avoid using "serve as a limit" in vague or overly broad statements. Always specify what the limit applies to and its scope to avoid ambiguity. Instead of saying "Technology serves as a limit," specify "Technology serves as a limit to the speed of data processing."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "serve as a limit" functions as a predicate in a sentence, indicating that something acts as a boundary or restriction. Ludwig's examples show its use in legal and scientific contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

Academia

30%

News & Media

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "serve as a limit" is a grammatically sound and useful expression for defining boundaries and restrictions. Ludwig confirms its correctness and suitability in various contexts, especially academic, scientific, and formal settings. While not overly common, its precise meaning makes it valuable when specifying constraints or boundaries. When employing this phrase, ensure clarity and specificity to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives like "act as a restriction" or "function as a constraint" may be suitable depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

act as a restriction

Replaces "serve" with "act" and uses the noun "restriction" instead of "limit", focusing on the act of restricting.

function as a constraint

Substitutes "serve" with "function" and "limit" with "constraint", highlighting the role as a restricting factor.

operate as a boundary

Emphasizes the role of defining a boundary rather than a general limitation.

work as a check

Focuses on the aspect of controlling or restraining something.

act as a control

Highlights the function of regulation and control.

constitute a restraint

Uses a more formal tone, emphasizing the act of restraining.

serve to restrict

Simplifies the structure by directly using "restrict" as a verb.

impose a limitation

Shifts the focus to the action of imposing a limitation.

set a boundary

Focuses on the act of establishing a limit or boundary.

define the confines

Highlights the act of defining boundaries or limits.

FAQs

How can I use "serve as a limit" in a sentence?

Use "serve as a limit" to indicate something that acts as a boundary or restriction. For example, "Regulations "serve as a limit" on pollution levels."

What are some alternatives to "serve as a limit"?

Alternatives include phrases like "act as a restriction", "function as a constraint", or "operate as a boundary". For example, a budget can "act as a restriction" on spending.

In what contexts is "serve as a limit" most appropriate?

"Serve as a limit" is suitable in formal contexts such as legal, academic, or business writing where precise definition of boundaries or restrictions is necessary. It's less common in informal conversation.

What is the difference between "serve as a limit" and "impose a limitation"?

"Serve as a limit" describes something that naturally acts as a boundary, while "impose a limitation" suggests an intentional action to restrict something. The former is descriptive, while the latter is active.