obstructive

American

[uhb-struhk-tiv] / əbˈstrʌk tɪv /

adjective

blocking a passage or view.

The scheme aimed to improve traffic circulation by removing obstructive parking.
interrupting, hindering, or opposing the progress or course of some process.

This is an opportunity to share different viewpoints, so feel free to do so; but if disagreement becomes obstructive, we will not achieve our aims.
Pathology. characterized by a blockage, as of an airway, blood vessel, duct, or other passage in the body.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder involving repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep.

Other Word Forms

nonobstructive adjective
nonobstructively adverb
nonobstructiveness noun
obstructively adverb
obstructiveness obstructivity noun
unobstructive adjective

Etymology

Origin of obstructive

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin obstruct(us), past participle of obstruere ( see obstruct ( def. )), + -ive ( def. )

Explanation

Anything that's obstructive gets in the way or blocks the flow of something. If you have an obstructive object stuck in your kitchen sink drain, you might have to call a plumber to get the water flowing again. Parking your car in an obstructive way in a parking lot will make it impossible for anyone else to get in or out. And if something's obstructive in your digestive system, it can cause serious problems. A person can act in an obstructive way too, by making processes difficult: "Your obstructive actions meant the city council couldn't even vote on whether or not to open a new zoo." The Latin root is obstruere, "block, stop, or hinder."

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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.

It said residents had been affected by overnight campers, with reported issues including late-night noise, obstructive parking, use of nearby vegetation as toilets, and bagged waste being left by litter bins.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

A medication called sulthiame may help people with obstructive sleep apnea breathe more easily during the night and sleep better overall.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

The drug is also approved to help treat moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

"We are knowingly sacrificing people here to cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma," he told AFP.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

In a recent study of the reaction to dying in patients with obstructive disease of the lungs, it was concluded that the process was considerably more shattering for the professional observers than the observed.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023