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.
Legal experts have noted however that Kasidiaris is still barred from running for office until 2033, when his term was to nominally end.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
In February, CBS lawyers barred “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” from running its interview with him, so the show posted it online.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
Barry said the pair were likely to be barred from working in policing again following respective misconduct hearings.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
In 1851, an escaped enslaved man named William Parker stood at the door of a Lancaster County farmhouse and barred access to four fugitive enslaved men he was protecting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
In the farthest room, through a barred window, he saw Idunn, sitting and weeping, and he perched on the bars.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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.
