Synonyms

glass ceiling

American

[glas see-ling] / ˈglæs ˈsi lɪŋ /

noun

an upper limit to professional advancement, especially as imposed upon women, minorities, and other nondominant groups, that is not readily perceived or openly acknowledged.

It’s more difficult for women of color to break through the glass ceiling.

glass ceiling British

noun

a situation in which progress, esp promotion, appears to be possible but restrictions or discrimination create a barrier that prevents it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

glass ceiling Cultural

An unacknowledged — and ultimately illegal — barrier to advancement, especially for women and people of color: “In many professions a woman cannot break through the glass ceiling to the upper level of management.” The term dates from the 1980s.

glass ceiling Idioms

An unacknowledged discriminatory barrier to advancement, especially for women and minorities. For example, Harriet knew she'd never be promoted—she would never get through the glass ceiling. [1980s]

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

glass ceilings

plural

Etymology

Origin of glass ceiling

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

glass ceiling

Clarke is convinced he and his players have learned from those experiences and are now in a position to "break that glass ceiling" by progressing to a historic knockout tie.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

“Breaking that glass ceiling, that’s special to me,” Ng said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

"There is a real glass ceiling in large cities," added Blanche Leridon, director of French studies at the Paris-based Institut Montaigne.

From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026

“We are starting to see the glass ceiling crack,” said Limón.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2026

The weapon was headed for the glass ceiling.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023