Dictionary.com

barrier

[ bar-ee-er ]
/ ˈbær i ər /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: barrier / barriers on Thesaurus.com
noun
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
candystring
candyfloss
candypuff
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

Words related to barrier

barricade, blockade, boundary, fence, hurdle, impediment, limit, obstacle, railing, roadblock, wall, difficulty, drawback, handicap, hindrance, restraint, restriction, stumbling block, bar, bound

How to use barrier in a sentence

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
  1. an exposed offshore sand bar separated from the shore by a lagoon
  2. (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
FEEDBACK