barrier

[ bar-ee-er ]

/ ˈbær i ər /

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See synonyms for: barrier / barriers on Thesaurus.com

noun

anything built or serving to bar passage, as a railing, fence, or the like: People may pass through the barrier only when their train is announced.

any natural bar or obstacle: a mountain barrier.

anything that restrains or obstructs progress, access, etc.: a trade barrier.

a limit or boundary of any kind: the barriers of caste.

Physical Geography. an Antarctic ice shelf or ice front.

barrier beach.

barriers, History/Historical. the palisade or railing surrounding the ground where tourneys and jousts were carried on.

Archaic. a fortress or stockade.

OTHER WORDS FOR barrier

1 palisade, wall.

1-3 obstruction, hindrance, impediment.

See synonyms for barrier on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of barrier

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French barriere (barre bar¹ + -iere, from Latin -āria -ary); replacing Middle English barrere, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin barrera

synonym study for barrier

1-3. See bar¹.

Words nearby barrier

barretter, barriada, barricade, barricado, Barrie, barrier, barrier beach, barrier cream, barrier island, barrier-nurse, barrier of ideas

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use barrier in a sentence

Yet faced with language and literacy barriers, immigration fears, or a lack of outreach from local and state governments, some of the most vulnerable communities have become fertile ground for vaccine misinformation, advocates say.
Among Latino immigrants, false vaccine claims are spreading as fast as the virus|Teo Armus|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
The Maryland General Assembly is poised to create a state-mandated system to compensate people who are wrongly convicted and imprisoned, removing barriers to getting paid that exonerees have faced for decades.
Maryland moves toward clear plan for paying people who were wrongly convicted|Ovetta Wiggins|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
The jargon and acronyms used can confuse even most political observers, let alone those with language barriers.
Morning Report: Redistricting Issues Could Get Lost in Translation|Voice of San Diego|February 10, 2021|Voice of San Diego
Our position and framework is the commission should make plans to meet the needs of both sizeable groups and additionally smaller language groups where there is organizing happening to take part, but language will be a barrier.
African Communities Warn Language Issues Could Shut Them Out of Redistricting|Maya Srikrishnan|February 10, 2021|Voice of San Diego

Instead, it is the lack of accessible or alternative resources that creates a barrier.
Ford’s next pandemic mission: Clear N95 masks and low-cost air filters|Hannah Denham|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
I was out, maybe in the Great Barrier Reef catching black marlin.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Like other barrier-breakers before him, Colfer suffered his share of doubters.
Chris Colfer on Writing, Acting, and the Pain of Being A Pop Culture Trailblazer|Oliver Jones|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Language was no barrier; just about every tongue on the planet was babbling away, caught up in the elaborate mystique of a cult.
Sherlock Holmes Vs. Jack the Ripper|Clive Irving|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was called, rather dramatically, breaking the sound barrier.
Virgin Galactic’s Flight Path to Disaster: A Clash of High Risk and Hyperbole|Clive Irving|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He saw a chain barrier covered with PVC piping that the Jeep had apparently struck and damaged before becoming stuck.
Manhunt for a Cop-Hating Pennsylvania ‘Survivalist’|Michael Daly|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was fired at by the sepoys, of course, but horse and man escaped untouched and the low barrier was leaped without effort.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
But scorn is far more volcanic than glacial and a poor barrier between sex and judgment.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
The barrier between them lowered perceptibly again, and Tom felt a momentary return of the confidence he had lost.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The talk between them rarely touched reality, as though a barrier deadened their very voices.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Guilelessly, the old man, in a few words, had swept away the barrier Mary and I had raised between us.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd

British Dictionary definitions for barrier

barrier

/ (ˈbærɪə) /

noun

anything serving to obstruct passage or to maintain separation, such as a fence or gate

anything that prevents or obstructs passage, access, or progressa barrier of distrust

anything that separates or hinders uniona language barrier

an exposed offshore sand bar separated from the shore by a lagoon
(as modifier)a barrier beach

(sometimes capital) that part of the Antarctic icecap extending over the sea

Word Origin for barrier

C14: from Old French barriere, from barre bar 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

barrier

OTHER WORDS FOR barrier

Origin of barrier

synonym study for barrier

Words nearby barrier

Words related to barrier

How to use barrier in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for barrier

Word Origin for barrier