26984 words

barriers

8 definitions • 14 examples
1
a long pole, fence, wall, or natural feature, such as a mountain or sea, that stops people from going somewhere:

Examples:

Barriers have been erected all along the route the Pope will take.
The mountains acted as a natural barrier to the spread of the disease.
2
a gate in some railway stations through which you must go to get on a train:

Examples:

Passengers are requested to show their tickets at the barrier.
3
anything that prevents people from being together or understanding each other:

Examples:

Despite the language barrier (= not speaking the same language), they soon became good friends.
Shyness is one of the biggest barriers to making friends (= something that makes this difficult).
4
used to describe methods of preventing pregnancy that work by physically blocking sperm from coming into contact with an egg:

Examples:

GPs tend to offer the basic options of pill, barrier methods or sterilization.
5
anything used or acting to block someone from going somewhere or from doing something, or to block something from happening:

Examples:

The Secret Service erected concrete barriers around the White House.
Jackie Robinson was the African-American who succeeded in breaking major league baseball’s color barrier (= use of race to block something from happening).
6
something that prevents something else from happening or makes it more difficult:

Examples:

barrier (to sth) In an ideal world, there would be no barriers to the free movement of people between countries.
7
something that keeps people or things apart:

Examples:

The language barrier is less frightening in print than over the telephone.
barrier between sb/sth (and sb/sth) Lack of regular communication is named time and time again as the major barrier between management and employees.
8
a number or measurement that is considered to be important or hard to reach:

Examples:

The average wage in Britain has broken the £20,000 barrier.
The Dow Jones broke the 10,000 barrier early in the day, but closed down 41.85 points at 9923.42.

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