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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
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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
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