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

• language barriers
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of language barrier

First recorded in 1885–90

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

language barrier

Several said they had been made to sign contracts that they did not understand, were poorly equipped and found communication with their superiors difficult due to the language barrier.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Despite the language barrier, he said they all understood each other "perfectly".

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

We might have been able to move past the language barrier if Mr. Hernández and Ms. Aikens conveyed the powerful emotion of their words with the requisite ardency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

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

When added to the language barrier, that made the problem almost impossible to crack.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---