Obstructive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əbˈstɹʌk.tɪv/

Definitions

1. Deliberately creating barriers or delays that prevent progress or normal functioning
2. Imposing hindrances that significantly interfere with progress or the smooth operation of processes
3. Causing interruptions or blockages that thwart efficient functioning and the advancement of situations or actions

Etymology: "Obstructive" is a plain formation: the verb "obstruct" with the suffix "-ive" attached. "Obstruct" comes from Latin "obstruere", meaning "to build against" or "to block up", built from "ob-" ("against, in the way") and "struere" ("to pile up, build"). That same Latin root gives English "structure", so an obstruction is, literally, something built in the way of a path. The suffix "-ive" has a longer journey. It descends from Latin "-ivus", which marked a quality or tendency, and reached English through Old French "-if" and Middle English "-yf" before settling into its modern form. So the word combines a Latin verb that means "to build across a route" with a suffix that signals "having the tendency to". An obstructive person or policy is one inclined to act as a barrier.

Synonyms: blocking, impeding, hindering, interfering, preventive

Antonyms: helpful, facilitative, supportive, enabling, permissive