bandwidth

In a technical sense, this refers to the physical capacity of a communication channel to carry data. It is a measure of throughput, where higher bandwidth allows for more information to be transferred simultaneously without congestion. When used in a corporate or social context, the word describes a psychological limit. It suggests that a person's cognitive resources are a finite commodity, similar to a data pipe that can become clogged. Using this term often signals a polite but firm boundary, indicating that one is already overwhelmed by existing commitments.