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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
As companies and governments have made progress in recent decades to close the gender pay gap, young female entrants to the workforce might have felt safe in the assumption that the glass ceiling had been smashed.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Europe, 3 June 2024
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Mexico’s new president-elect, has broken the ultimate glass ceiling in a country more commonly known for its machismo.
—Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2024
Don't hide because the world has put labels and boxes and glass ceilings.
—Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
If Aso backs her, Kamikawa could break through the highest of Japan’s glass ceilings.
—Ian Bremmer, TIME, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for glass ceiling
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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Cite this Entry
“Glass ceiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glass%20ceiling. Accessed 12 Jun. 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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