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 schoolteacher whose roots were split between Brooklyn and Barbados broke the glass ceiling and remained in office for seven terms, representing the 12th congressional district of New York until 1983. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 As Black women entrepreneurs strive to shatter the glass ceiling, Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon is here to help. Meimei Fox, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Someone should ask Rufo what the difference is between a hire made of an underqualified individual in pursuit of breaking a glass ceiling that has existed at Harvard for 387 years and a hire made to perpetuate conservative control of a university system. The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2024 Merkerson’s new character, Anita van Buren, even became a lieutenant before any real woman in the NYPD broke that glass ceiling. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2024 Zootopia was also first released in 2016, following the adventures of Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny to break the glass ceiling on Zootopia's police force. Sari Hitchins, Parents, 8 Feb. 2024 Earhart was one of the greatest pilots of her time, and broke the glass ceiling in the feminist movement. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 30 Jan. 2024 What that will mean for the women seeking to break the glass ceiling in the California governor’s office remains to be seen. Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024 But forging new paths, breaking glass ceilings and overcoming tough obstacles are nothing new for Atkins. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glass ceiling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of glass ceiling was in 1984

Dictionary Entries Near glass ceiling

Cite this Entry

“Glass ceiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glass%20ceiling. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

glass ceiling

noun
: an informal limit to how high a position women and minorities can earn in a company
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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