A barrier is something that blocks your way or prevents you from doing something. It might be a physical object, like a fence blocking a path, or a language barrier when you're trying to talk to someone who speaks a different language. When construction workers put up orange barriers on a road, they're warning you that you can't go that way.

Barriers can also be invisible obstacles that make things harder to achieve. A person who grew up in poverty might face financial barriers to attending college. Someone with a disability might encounter barriers when buildings lack ramps or elevators. When doctors talk about breaking down barriers to healthcare, they mean removing the things that prevent people from getting the medical help they need.

The word often appears in the phrase break through barriers or overcome barriers, which means pushing past obstacles through determination and effort. Scientists who make major discoveries often have to break through barriers of existing knowledge. Athletes break through physical barriers by training harder than they thought possible.

Sometimes people create their own barriers by doubting themselves or giving up too quickly. Other times, barriers are real and substantial, requiring creativity, persistence, or help from others to get past them. Understanding what barriers stand between you and your goals is the first step toward figuring out how to get around them.