obstruction
Americannoun
-
something that obstructs, blocks, or closes up with an obstacle or obstacles; obstacle or hindrance.
obstructions to navigation.
- Synonyms:
- impediment, bar, barrier
- Antonyms:
- encouragement
-
an act or instance of obstructing.
-
the state of being obstructed.
- Synonyms:
- stoppage
- Antonyms:
- encouragement
-
the delaying or preventing of business before a deliberative body, especially a legislative group, by parliamentary contrivances.
noun
-
a person or thing that obstructs
-
the act or an instance of obstructing
-
delay of business, esp in a legislature by means of procedural devices
-
sport the act of unfairly impeding an opposing player
-
the state or condition of being obstructed
Related Words
See obstacle.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obstruction
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin obstructiōn- (stem of obstructiō ) “barrier.” See obstruct, -ion
Explanation
An obstruction blocks things, like a roadblock prevents drivers to enter a street or a piece of food cuts off your windpipe. All types of obstructions block things. If you put a shelf in your doorway, that would be an obstruction: people would have a hard time getting around it. In football, offensive linemen try to be obstructions: they stand between the defense and the quarterback. Legally, if someone lies to the police or withholds evidence, they are an obstruction to justice, because they're preventing the police from doing their jobs. All obstructions are impediments; obstructions are in the way.
Vocabulary lists containing obstruction
Latin Love, Vol I: struere
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The Red Badge of Courage
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President Obama's Remarks on the Economy
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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.
She faces sentencing in September, with a maximum penalty of almost 200 years in prison — up to 20 years for each count of wire fraud and 5 years for each count of obstruction.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Singapore-based Synergy Marine, its India-based subsidiary Synergy Maritime, and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair were charged with conspiracy, obstruction, and false statements.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
“We do of course monitor and investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement,” DHS said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
"The end of Hungarian obstruction to Ukraine's accession does not mean it will accelerate," summed up Sebastien Maillard from the Jacques Delors think tank.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Gronau inspected the wheel to make sure the car would swing without obstruction.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
