gatekeep

verb

gate·​keep ˈgāt-ˌkēp 

gatekept ˈgāt-ˌkept  ; gatekeeping; gatekeeps

transitive + intransitive

: to restrict access to (something of value, such as information, knowledge, or resources) in order to exert power or control over a person or group

… my least favorite part of the fandom would be the guys who like to try to gatekeep anime, like it's just specific to your one little group of friends?

—Megan Thee Stallion, quoted at teenvogue.com

… gatekeeping the publicly funded airways, making sure only the 'right' sort get to use them.

—Alexander Cockburn

Traditional lending models utilize credit scoring which ultimately gatekeeps wealth and capital from those with lower scores.

—Nicole Dritz

Sherry's an influencer, but she's so much more than that. She's gaslighting, she's gatekeeping, and most importantly, she's girlbossing.

—Danica Creahan

With the neighborhood increasingly gatekept, and its prime walls gobbled up by developers and corporate installations, artists have started looking elsewhere.

—Celia Almeida

gatekeeping noun

… there's been this gatekeeping around culture—including language, elegance, education but also confidence. And since I had access to this so early in life … I want to share this on TikTok, because I really, truly believe that this knowledge should not be exclusive.

—Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg, quoted in The New York Times

HMOs and other types of plans that provide tightly managed care based on gatekeeping …

—Arnold S. Relman

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from gatekeeper

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above