Something that blocks movement or keeps things apart, like a wall, fence, or rule. Barriers can be physical, like a gate, or abstract, like a language or law.
It comes from Old French “barriere,” meaning a gate or defensive wall, from “barre,” a bar or rod. The word has always suggested blocking or controlling access.
We use “barrier” for everything from concrete walls to shyness, showing how easily we treat social and emotional limits as if they were physical objects. Your fear can be as real a barrier as a locked door in the way the mind experiences it.
'Barrier' is widely used metaphorically for obstacles to participation, and many documented barriers have been gendered—such as limits on women's education, employment, and leadership. The phrase 'glass ceiling' is one specific gendered barrier metaphor within this broader usage.
When you mention barriers, be specific about which groups are affected and avoid implying that lack of success is due only to individual effort. Recognize structural gender barriers where evidence supports it.
["obstacle","block","constraint"]
Women and gender‑diverse people have identified, named, and challenged institutional barriers, leading to reforms in law, education, and workplaces.
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