Blocked or prevented from moving forward or being seen; hindered by something in the way.
From Latin 'obstruere,' combining 'ob-' (against) and 'struere' (to build or construct). The image of 'building against' something captures the sense of creating a barrier.
The legal term 'obstruction of justice' is one of the most powerful crimes on the books because justice systems recognize that blocking the truth is sometimes worse than the original crime. This says something profound about human values—we protect the search for truth above almost everything else.
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