A motion in which a party asks the court to exclude, limit, or include evidence before it is offered at trial. The court decides the motion outside the presence of a jury.

Typically, in a motion in limine (Latin for "at the start" or "on the threshold"), a party seeks to exclude prejudicial or irrelevant evidence from a jury trial. However, a party also may use a motion in limine to obtain an advance ruling on whether the court will admit specified evidence at trial. Rulings on motions in limine are interlocutory (not final), and the court may change its ruling during trial.