obstruction
Americannoun
-
obstructions
plural
-
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
Synonym Usage
See obstacle.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Red Badge of Courage
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
President Obama's Remarks on the Economy
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
A ninth person, Alexander Iniguez Mercado, was arrested last week and charged with obstruction of justice.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
US media reported that Lander was found not guilty following a one-day trial in Manhattan as the judge found no evidence of deliberate obstruction.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
The DOJ is purportedly seeking to charge the nonprofit with money laundering and obstruction.
From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2026
In 2023 he was impeached by the Republican-led state House of Representatives on charges of bribery, abuse of office and obstruction of justice.
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
The only sense of speed he had was the cold air against his face and the occasional tremor of the hull as some obstruction far below raised a slight wave in the water.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
A number of the victims were found near a fire exit and authorities believe there may have been obstructions blocking it, he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
These obstructions don’t pop up specifically because we’re straight or gay or queer or open or pansexual or asexual or ethically nonmonogamous, but because we’re human.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
He explained how a person could be constantly tripping over debris and obstructions and at times having to go "on all fours" to try to get through the tunnel.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
Police warned ahead of the protest—which happened on the same night that Herzog was addressing a crowd elsewhere in the city—that they would not tolerate any obstructions to traffic or other pedestrians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Side-scan sonar has been widely used to detect obstructions on the ocean floor that might be hazardous to shipping or to seabed installations by the gas and oil industries.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
