Ltd

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A shortened form of limited, placed after a company name to show that its owners have limited liability
2. The abbreviation attached to the end of a British company name to indicate that shareholders are liable only up to their investment
3. Short for limited, a suffix in company names signaling that the business is a limited liability company

Etymology: "Ltd" is the abbreviation of "limited", and its history follows the meaning of that longer word. "Limited" comes from Latin "limitatus", the past participle of "limitare", meaning to bound or mark the edge of something, and English took the adjective in the sense of restricted or confined within set bounds. The shortened form appears in company names, where it signals that the owners' liability for debts is capped at the amount they have invested in the business.