Chinese wall

noun

: a strong barrier
especially : a serious obstacle to understanding

Examples of Chinese wall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Chinese wall between health insurance and Macy’s didn’t last. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 25 Oct. 2022 And there's a sort of Chinese wall between these worlds. Bruce Rogers, Forbes, 16 June 2021

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

Word History

Etymology

Chinese Wall, a defensive wall built in the 3rd century b.c. between China and Mongolia

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Chinese wall was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near Chinese wall

Cite this Entry

“Chinese wall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chinese%20wall. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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