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 ( obstruct ( def. ) ), + -ive ( def. )

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.

Charlotte Hennessy, whose father Jimmy died in the 1989 disaster, said she felt Mahmood, who declined to meet relatives in recent weeks, was being "obstructive" over a proposed amendment about the security services.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

They discovered that adults who have both insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea face a significantly higher risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease compared with those who have only one of the conditions.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 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

Of all the dark, obstructive, enigmatic souls I had met in this bleak city, his was the darkest.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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