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.

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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

The two housekeepers denied that conversation with Brown took place, and said the language barrier would have made such a discussion unlikely.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

“Part of our household is fully fluent in Spanish, part is not. And even despite the language barrier, we’ve really gravitated toward the quality of the Telemundo stream,” Denney said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 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