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.
On July 13, the Supreme Court barred Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father until after the first round of the election, after he read out a handwritten letter from Jair Bolsonaro on social media.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Authorities have also temporarily suspended new listings of leveraged ETFs and ETNs and barred securities firms from marketing such products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The United States in April allowed Venezuela to pay for Maduro's and Flores's legal defense, something previously barred by US sanctions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
He has also been barred from leaving Russia.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The postern was closed again, the iron door was barred and piled inside with stones.
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.
