Obstacle

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɒbstəkəl/

Definitions

1. Something that blocks your path or prevents you from achieving a goal
2. A physical or metaphorical barrier that impedes progress, challenges efforts, and complicates the achievement of desired goals
3. A hindrance that obstructs movement or progress, whether physically or in terms of achieving objectives

Etymology: The Latin "obstaculum" came from "obstare," meaning "to stand in the way," a verb built from "ob-" ("against, in front of") and "stare" ("to stand"). The same verb gave English "obstinate," "obstruct," and "constant," so the family of words is essentially about planting oneself in someone's path. A Latin "obstaculum" was a physical barrier, something placed or standing in the way, and the concrete sense of blocking a route carried over intact. English borrowed the word through Old French "obstacle," which entered the language in the Middle English period, a few centuries after the Norman Conquest. Its earliest English uses were largely literal, referring to something physically in the way, before the figurative sense of an impediment to plans, progress, or success became dominant.

Synonyms: hindrance, barrier, impediment, blockage, obstruction

Antonyms: advantage, aid, help, facilitation, support