cutoff
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
A designated limit beyond which something cannot function or must be end.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kuhtawfSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkʌtɔf
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A designated limit beyond which something cannot function or must be terminated
The point at which something terminates or to which it is limited.
A road, path or channel that provides a shorter or quicker path; a shortcut.
A device that terminates the flow in a pipe
A device that stops the flow of a current.
A cessation in a flow or activity.
adjective
Constituting a limit or ending.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A designated limit beyond which something cannot function or must be terminated
Used this way, cutoff is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Handsaw that cuts at right angles to the grain (or major axis).
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.