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Glite Dictionary
sublimit

sublimit

1 8.9
A smaller limit in an insurance policy for a certain type of loss like jewelry
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌb.lɪ.mɪt/
  • Specialized
: sublímite
  • Homeowners should be aware of the sublimit for personal property theft in their policy.

Examples

  • In the event of a flood, the sublimit for damage to the basement is only $10,000.

  • The negotiation of geographical subzones with attendant equipment sublimits to push opposing forces away from Western borders would seem important to states in this category.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The aggregate sublimit for individual contributions to federal candidates—$48,600 in 2013-14—played an especially important role in limiting the scope and reach of these committees.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The insurance policy includes a sublimit of $1,000 for electronics damage.

Surface Forms

sublimit singular
sublimits plural

Morphology

sublimit = limit (transparent) = sub + limit

The productive prefix 'sub-' meaning 'under' or 'secondary' combines with 'limit' to yield a subordinate or specific limit; the derivation is straightforward though the insurance sense is specialized.

Etymology

The word sublimit comes from the prefix sub- meaning 'under', as in subway or submarine, and limit meaning 'maximum', as in 'speed limit'. So a sublimit is a smaller 'maximum' set 'under' the main policy limit, a specific cap for things like jewelry or flood damage.