gatekeeper

noun

gate·​keep·​er ˈgāt-ˌkē-pər 

1

: one that tends or guards a gate

2

: a person who controls access

gatekeeping

ˈgāt-ˌkē-piŋ 

noun

Synonyms

• doorkeeper
• doorman
• janitor
• porter [chiefly British]

Examples of gatekeeper in a Sentence

those who are hopelessly unhip have little chance of making past the club's gatekeeper and his velvet rope

Recent Examples on the Web

Be more you The gatekeepers built systems that worked for them, not for you. —Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Her inability to mesh with the gatekeepers of the James Bond movies might well have sealed her fate. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025

Our free speech tradition is based on a firm belief that those in power do not get to be the gatekeeper of the marketplace of ideas. —Bastiaan Vanacker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025

Given the iPhone’s status as gatekeeper hardware , these rulings are designed to promote inter-operatbility between all consumer electronic brands. —Ewan Spence, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gatekeeper

• beekeeper
• bookkeeper
• doorkeeper
• gamekeeper
• goalkeeper
• housekeeper
• innkeeper
• minesweeper
• peacekeeper
• shopkeeper
• storekeeper
• timekeeper

Kids Definition

gatekeeper

noun

gate·​keep·​er -ˌkē-pər 

1

: a person who tends or guards a gate

2

: a person who controls access

Medical Definition

gatekeeper

noun

gate·​keep·​er -ˌkē-pər 

: a health-care professional (as a primary care physician) who regulates access especially to hospitals and specialists

managed care plans rely on a designated physician gatekeeper to orchestrate and control the health care of its enrollees

—E. A. Halm et al.