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

“Normally, law enforcement officers order people out of the car,” Dicus said, but Jianquan Bo got out of the car, drawing the focus of the deputies who struggled to communicate through a language barrier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 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

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

Wright told jurors: "It's a matter for you to consider... whether this was a product of distress on his part, a language barrier, or an unintended indication of his attitude towards Miguel."

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

But the language barrier didn't prevent her love of American television.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi