barring

American

[bahr-ing] / ˈbɑr ɪŋ /

preposition

excepting; except for.

Barring accidents, I'll be there.

barring British

/ ˈbɑːrɪŋ /

preposition

unless (something) occurs; except for

barring rain, the match will be held tomorrow

"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

Etymology

Origin of barring

First recorded in 1475–85; bar ¹ + -ing ²

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.

See Examples For:

barring

So, barring a significant shift either in rotation health or in the market, don’t count on Skubal joining the Dodgers in their quest for a three-peat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

England do at least have time for succession planning as, barring injury, Kane will be around for the home Euros in two years' time.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Apple said it was seeking damages and an injunction barring OpenAI from using its confidential information, calling the lawsuit necessary after OpenAI failed to respond to concerns the company raised in February.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Cuba imposed draconian rules, he said, barring doctors from leaving their quarters after 6 p.m.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

For one week all of Hyper Base had stopped dead, barring some paper work on the subsidiary asteroids of the group.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023