obstructive
Americanadjective
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blocking a passage or view.
The scheme aimed to improve traffic circulation by removing obstructive parking.
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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.
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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
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."
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.
During that time, the incidence rates per 1,000 person-years were 21.4 for osteoarthritis, 21.1 for chronic kidney disease, 20.3 for obstructive sleep apnea, and 3.9 for heart failure.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
Their risk of osteoarthritis was 37% lower, chronic kidney disease was 30% lower, obstructive sleep apnea was 69% lower, and heart failure was 32% lower.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
“We have 55 pathways available” for different treatments, Dr. Mansi says, including pulmonary embolism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
Chris Baker has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and said it had "been exacerbated by the contaminants in the air".
From BBC • Apr. 16, 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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
