language barrier
noun
: a difficulty for people communicating because they speak different languages
Examples of language barrier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite their efforts to support their children’s education, navigating the system proved challenging due to the language barrier.
—
Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
Despite the language barrier, those artists’ confidence and swagger, and the vibe of their music, still spoke to him.
—Danny Hajjar, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2024
Classes have already begun, and are not just offered in English, but also in Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean, since seniors in those populations may have a harder time accessing services due to the language barrier and cultural beliefs about mental health.
—A.k. Whitney, Orange County Register, 2 Apr. 2024
Mizuhara, 39, became Ohtani’s de facto gatekeeper, with even Ohtani’s closest representatives routinely going to Mizuhara to relay information to the ballplayer because of the language barrier.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
As the suit evolved, the judge limited the case to a language barrier issue.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024
The language barrier, however, did not deter my daughter.
—TIME, 5 Mar. 2024
ProPublica had found that, due to a language barrier, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office wrongly concluded that the boy’s father, José María Rodríguez Uriarte, was operating a piece of farming equipment that killed 8-year-old Jefferson.
—Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel, Journal Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2024
In restaurants, servers would come over to coo at him and make conversation with us in the process, despite the language barrier.
—Emily Siner, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024
Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
Despite the language barrier, those artists’ confidence and swagger, and the vibe of their music, still spoke to him.
—Danny Hajjar, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2024
Classes have already begun, and are not just offered in English, but also in Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean, since seniors in those populations may have a harder time accessing services due to the language barrier and cultural beliefs about mental health.
—A.k. Whitney, Orange County Register, 2 Apr. 2024
Mizuhara, 39, became Ohtani’s de facto gatekeeper, with even Ohtani’s closest representatives routinely going to Mizuhara to relay information to the ballplayer because of the language barrier.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
As the suit evolved, the judge limited the case to a language barrier issue.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024
The language barrier, however, did not deter my daughter.
—TIME, 5 Mar. 2024
ProPublica had found that, due to a language barrier, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office wrongly concluded that the boy’s father, José María Rodríguez Uriarte, was operating a piece of farming equipment that killed 8-year-old Jefferson.
—Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel, Journal Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2024
In restaurants, servers would come over to coo at him and make conversation with us in the process, despite the language barrier.
—Emily Siner, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'language barrier.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near language barrier
Cite this Entry
“Language barrier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language%20barrier. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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