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.
A hearing on a preliminary injunction scheduled for next week—that would have barred Paramount from closing the merger while the states’ antitrust lawsuit proceeds—has been cancelled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Following criticism last June, the Dodgers barred federal immigration agents from the team's massive stadium parking lot and committed $1 million to help families of immigrants "impacted by recent events in the region."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 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
Under current court rulings, an heir who inherited a property after that date is generally barred from suing under the law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Legally barred from employment, housing, and welfare benefits—and saddled with thousands of dollars of debt—these people were shamed and condemned for failing to hold together their families.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
