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.
That includes the shares held by SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, which he will be barred from selling for a year and a day after SpaceX finalizes its prospectus paperwork.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
While he wasn’t barred from attending, some people advised Gates not to go.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
While body armor is legal for most Americans to own, felons with a history of violence are barred from possessing it.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
While the WHO has not advised on imposing travel restrictions, the US has barred entry from non-Americans who have been in DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
They are barred by law from doing so.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
