gatekeeper

[geyt-kee-per]

noun

1. a person in charge of a gate, usually to identify, count, supervise, etc., the traffic that flows through it.

2. a person or thing that controls access, as to information, often acting as an arbiter of quality or legitimacy: An open internet allows innovators to bypass traditional gatekeepers and promote their work on its own merit.

   Treating office gatekeepers with respect will improve your chances of scheduling a face-to-face meeting or job interview.

   An open internet allows innovators to bypass traditional gatekeepers and promote their work on its own merit.

3. a guardian; monitor.

   the gatekeepers of Western culture.

gatekeeper

/ ˈɡeɪtˌkiːpə /

noun

1. a person who has charge of a gate and controls who may pass through it

2. any of several Eurasian butterflies of the genus Pyronia, esp P. tithonus, having brown-bordered orange wings with a black-and-white eyespot on each forewing: family Satyridae

3. a manager in a large organization who controls the flow of information, esp to parent and subsidiary companies

Word History and Origins

Origin of gatekeeper¹

First recorded in 1565–75; in 1905–10 gatekeeper for defs. 2, 3; gate ¹ + keeper

Example Sentences

The European Union’s Digital Markets Act also classes a small group of companies, like Google and Apple, as gatekeepers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In the internet age, its role "has shifted from solitary gatekeeper to anchor signal inside a network where media exposure and online reviews amplify, rather than replace, its certification," he told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

“From Internet memes to late-night comedians, from cartoons to the plays and poems as old as organized government itself — Political Satire circumvents traditional gatekeepers & helps hold those in power accountable,” he continued.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“We wanted this man-like figure to be the gatekeeper of death, and we wanted him to talk of death or the afterworld,” added Sato.

Read more on Salon

The concentration of station ownership reduces the number of independent gatekeepers who might push back against political or regulatory pressure.

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Related Words

• protector