barred
Americanadjective
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provided with one or more bars.
a barred prison window.
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striped; streaked.
barred fabrics.
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Ornithology. (of feathers) marked with transverse bands of distinctive color.
Etymology
Origin of barred
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at bar 1, -ed 3
Explanation
Something that is barred prevents your entry. If you are trying to sneak into your friend's house, avoid the barred windows. To be barred is to be blocked from entrance or not allowed to do something — as if there were imaginary bars in your path. The adjective barred comes from the noun bar, and it's easy to remember if you picture the classic barred cell where inmates are confined. Barred can also describe something that is marked with bars, like a barred owl.
Vocabulary lists containing barred
The Voice That Challenged a Nation
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RBG's Brave & Brilliant Women
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Kareem Between
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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.
He has been barred from leaving the country since then.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Earlier this month, the U.K. government barred West from entering the country to headline the Wireless music festival, which was then canceled.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Khalid has also been barred from working with organisations that serve minors and people with disabilities when he is eventually released.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Incumbent president Jose Maria Balcazar, in office for less than two months, was barred from running.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
There sat many men in bright mail, who sprang at once to their feet and barred the way with spears.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
