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language barrier

American  
[lang-gwij bar-ee-er] / ˈlæŋ gwɪdʒ ˌbær i ər /

noun

language barriers plural
  1. difficulty in communicating due to the lack of a shared language.

    International adoption is not easy, especially when there is a language barrier.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of language barrier

First recorded in 1885–90

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:

He picked up some Spanish from Latino teammates in Japan that he uses to help bridge the language barrier.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 5, 2026

Richards believes the language barrier, which once sent her to Korea, will become less of an issue the more people embrace it.

From BBC Apr. 6, 2026

"Cultures are different, not to mention the language barrier," the mayor said, urging "mutual support and consideration".

From Barron's Mar. 20, 2026

Historically, some U.S. listeners have struggled to embrace K-pop because of the language barrier, or found the genre’s melodic digressions and stop-start rhythms jarring, as if three songs are crammed into one.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 27, 2025

Even though he couldn’t speak Portuguese, the former president’s gregarious nature broke through the language barrier.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

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