Obstruction

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əbˈstɹʌk.ʃən/

Definitions

1. Something that blocks a path, prevents movement, or hinders progress from occurring
2. An object or situation that impedes or blocks passage, disrupts functionality, or hinders the completion of an action
3. A barrier or hindrance that prevents movement or progress, obstructs visibility, or limits the efficiency of a process

Etymology: The noun "obstruction" is built from the Latin verb "obstruere," which combined "ob-" ("against, in the way of") with "struere" ("to build, pile up"). So at its root, the idea is literally building something in the path of something else. The Romans used "obstruere" for stacking materials against a gate or blocking a road, and the noun "obstructio" carried the sense of that barrier and the hindrance it creates. The word passed into English from Latin, and its early uses kept that physical picture of a barrier set across a route. Over time the sense widened from a solid object to any impediment, whether a fallen tree, a crowd, or a rule that stalls progress. The same "struere" root gives English "construct" and "structure," so a stone wall and a legal obstruction share a common ancestor in the act of piling things up.

Synonyms: blockage, hindrance, impediment, barrier, obstacle

Antonyms: assistance, support, facilitation