What is but no limited to meaning?
What does it actually mean in law?
What should you know about this phrase?
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Table of Contents
But not limited to meaning
The phrase “but not limited to” is usually used to refer to different things or elements as part of a group of things or elements.
The author’s objective is to ensure that the reader understands that the list or items referred to are some examples of items within a group but there may be more.
Use in contracts
In contracts and legal document drafting, the phrase but not limited to is used quite often to refer to legal obligations, representations, warranties, rights, remedies or other elements named in a contract.
The idea for the author of the contract is to avoid having to draft exhaustive lists or define every possible element within a list or group of things.
For example, here is how a particular contractual clause could be drafted:
For the avoidance of doubt, no provision of this Agreement (including, but not limited to, the provisions of the previous section) shall be regarded as constituting “Confidential Information”.
“But not limited to” in a sentence
What is the meaning of but not limited to in a sentence?
Let’s look at an example of a sentence using the phrase but not limited to:
The employees of the company are asked to respect corporate policies, including but not limited to the conflict of interest policy, privacy policy and security policy.
In this example, the author of this sentence wants to bring the reader’s attention to a few specific policies without limiting the list to only the policies expressly mentioned.
The idea is to suggest that employees are asked to respect all policies but also including the conflict of interest policy, privacy policy and security policy.
Takeaways
What is the meaning of but not limited to in a sentence of a contract?
What should you understand from this phrase?
Here is a summary of what “but not limited to” means:
- It’s a phrase used in the formal English language, contracts, official documents and legal writing
- It is used to refer to things part of a group
- The group should be understood to be part of a larger group
- It’s used to present a non-exhaustive list
The objective is for the writer to give examples, list items, refer to elements without letting the reader believe that the itemization is exhaustive or represents the entire list.
Rather, the writer wants the reader to understand that what is being listed is part of a larger set of things or items.
