barred
Americanadjective
-
provided with one or more bars.
a barred prison window.
-
striped; streaked.
barred fabrics.
-
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.
Nevertheless she was barred from visiting the grave after the funeral, or organising a tombstone, she says.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Likewise, emoluments are barred regardless of whether the official takes or refrains from any act whatever.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
Nili also said that the court imposed a two-year travel ban and has barred Panahi from using social media for two years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Machado's party wants elections in 2027 and for her to be allowed to run, unlike the last presidential vote, when she was barred from being a candidate.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
Ida dragged me through a small corridor leading to another room, but Hadel barred the doorway with her walking stick.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
