glass ceiling

noun

: an intangible barrier within a hierarchy that prevents women or minorities from obtaining upper-level positions

Examples of glass ceiling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom features a rooftop deck with a retractable glass ceiling, an outdoor pool, and direct access to the sand. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2026

Breaking the glass ceiling Other women gubernatorial candidates notched historic wins in three states. — Maham Javaid, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026

All across the country, women like Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms and Senator-elect Annie Andrews crashed through glass ceilings and achieved historic firsts for their constituents. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Nov. 2026

Advertisement In Minnesota, whoever wins the race for governor will break the state’s glass ceiling, as no woman has ever been elected to lead the state. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for glass ceiling

• annealing
• appealing
• concealing
• congealing
• freewheeling
• repealing
• revealing
• unfeeling
• dealing
• feeling
• healing
• heeling

Kids Definition

glass ceiling

noun

: an informal limit to how high a position women and minorities can earn in a company