obstructive
Americanadjective
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blocking a passage or view.
The scheme aimed to improve traffic circulation by removing obstructive parking.
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interrupting, hindering, or opposing the progress or course of some process.
This is an opportunity to share different viewpoints, so feel free to do so; but if disagreement becomes obstructive, we will not achieve our aims.
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Pathology. characterized by a blockage, as of an airway, blood vessel, duct, or other passage in the body.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder involving repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obstructive
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin obstruct(us), past participle of obstruere ( see obstruct ( def. )), + -ive ( def. )
Explanation
Anything that's obstructive gets in the way or blocks the flow of something. If you have an obstructive object stuck in your kitchen sink drain, you might have to call a plumber to get the water flowing again. Parking your car in an obstructive way in a parking lot will make it impossible for anyone else to get in or out. And if something's obstructive in your digestive system, it can cause serious problems. A person can act in an obstructive way too, by making processes difficult: "Your obstructive actions meant the city council couldn't even vote on whether or not to open a new zoo." The Latin root is obstruere, "block, stop, or hinder."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Obstructive sleep apnea causes repeated pauses in breathing throughout the night.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
Obstructive sleep apnea is a chronic disorder that can cause a person’s airway to be repeatedly blocked during sleep.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs because there’s a problem with the structure or the function of the upper airway.
From Scientific American • Jun. 29, 2023
Obstructive sleep apnea makes you wake up feeling like you haven’t slept a wink.
From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2023
Hist! there were two words soft spoken, those stale words, "Obstructive Bore."
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 99, August 23, 1890 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
