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.
Some of Jin’s assets were frozen, and he was barred from leaving China.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
At the time, Becerra, a Biden Cabinet member, was barred from involving himself in campaign matters.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
Meanwhile, the court commissioner presiding over the recent hearing reversed a bail provision that had barred him from Dane County, except to appear in court.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
An appeals court upheld her finding of contempt, but found that she went too far when she barred Apple from collecting any commission from sellers who use third-party payment systems.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
He scrambled with awkward haste to his house, plunged in, and barred the entrance with stones.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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.
