OBSTRUCTION

obstruction

(noun) getting in someone’s way

obstruction

(noun) the act of obstructing; “obstruction of justice”

obstruction, obstructor, obstructer, impediment, impedimenta

(noun) any structure that makes progress difficult

obstacle, obstruction

(noun) something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted; “lack of imagination is an obstacle to one’s advancement”; “the poverty of a district is an obstacle to good education”; “the filibuster was a major obstruction to the success of their plan”

obstruction, blockage

(noun) the physical condition of blocking or filling a passage with an obstruction

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

obstruction (countable and uncountable, plural obstructions)

The act of obstructing, or state of being obstructed.

Something which obstructs or impedes, either intentionally or unintentionally

Synonyms: obstacle, impediment, hindrance

The condition of having the natural powers obstructed in their usual course; the arrest of the vital functions; death.

Synonyms

• block

• hindrance

• impedance

• roadblock

• stop

• See also hindrance

Source: Wiktionary


Ob*struc"tion, n. Etym: [L.obstructio.]

1. The act of obstructing, or state of being obstructed.

2. That which obstructs or impedes; an obstacle; an impediment; a hindrance. A popular assembly free from obstruction. Swift.

3. The condition of having the natural powers obstructed in their usual course; the arrest of the vital functions; death. [Poetic] To die, and go we know not where, To lie in cold obstruction, and to rot. Shak.

Syn.

– Obstacle; bar; barrier; impediment; clog; check; hindrance.

– Obstruction, Obstacle. The difference between these words is that indicated by their etymology; an obstacle is something standing in the way; an obstruction is something put in the way. Obstacle implies more fixedness and is the stronger word. We remove obstructions; we surmount obstacles. Disparity in age seems a greater obstacle to an intimate friendship than inequality of fortune. Collier. The king expected to meet with all the obstructions and difficulties his enraged enemies could lay in his way. Clarendon.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

13 March 2025

ACCURATE

(adjective) conforming exactly or almost exactly to fact or to a standard or performing with total accuracy; “an accurate reproduction”; “the accounting was accurate”; “accurate measurements”; “an accurate scale”


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Coffee Trivia

An article published in Harvard Men’s Health Watch in 2012 shows heavy coffee drinkers live longer. The researchers examined data from 400,000 people and found out that men who drank six or more coffee cups per day had a 10% lower death rate.

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