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

That was a cool metaphor of wanting each one of them to shatter a glass ceiling of sorts. — Max Gao, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Then there’s the Winter Garden, which looks like a greenhouse with a glass ceiling and loads of plants. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026

Inadvertently, our entry shatters the glass ceiling, since Georgia and I are the only girls there. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026

Next to Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry, the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center is known for having acres of gardens under the glass ceiling of its atrium. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 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