Standard Lemma guide

gatekeeper

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈɡeɪtˌkiː.pə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈɡeɪtˌki.pɚ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: G EY1 T K IY2 P ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person or group who controls access to something or somebody.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who guards or monitors passage through a gate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A common orange and brown butterfly with eyespots, Pyronia tithonus, of the family Nymphalidae.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

In dissociative identity disorder, an aspect of the personality that controls access to the various identities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

One who gatekeeps.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A provider of core platform services with specific characteristics (Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

someone who guards an entrance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: doorkeeper, doorman, door guard, hall porter, porter, ostiary

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: guard

Narrower terms: commissionaire, night porter, ticket collector, ticket taker

8

noun

Meaning 8

someone who controls access to something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there are too many gatekeepers between the field officers and the chief

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul

History

Etymology

From gate + keeper.

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: derës — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Southern Altai: эжикчи (ežikči) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Aromanian: purtar — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Bulgarian: портиер (portier) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Catalan: porter — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Catalan: portera — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Czech: vrátný — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Czech: vrátná — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Dutch: poortwachter — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Dutch: poortwachtster — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Dutch: portier — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Finnish: portinvartija — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Finnish: porttivahti — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • French: gardien — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • French: gardienne — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Galician: porteiro — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Georgian: მეკარე (meḳare) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Georgian: კარისმცველი (ḳarismcveli) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • German: Torwächter — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • German: Torwächterin — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • German: Torwächter — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • German: Torwächterinnen — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Gothic: 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 (daurawards) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Gothic: 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌰 (daurawarda) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Ancient Greek: πυλωρός (pulōrós) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Indonesian: penggerbang — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Indonesian: penjaga pintu — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Irish: geatóir — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Italian: guardiano — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Italian: guardiana — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Italian: custode — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Italian: portiere — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Italian: portiera — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Italian: portinaio — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Italian: portinaia — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Northern Kurdish: dergevan — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Norwegian: portvakt — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Persian: دربان (darbān) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Persian: قاپوچی (qâpuči) — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Polish: portier — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Polish: portierka — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Portuguese: porteiro — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Portuguese: porteira — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Romanian: portar — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Romanian: portăreasă — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Spanish: portero — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Spanish: portera — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Swahili: bawabu — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Swedish: portvakt — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Tagalog: bantay-pinto — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Tocharian B: yenmeu — person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
  • Greek: πυλωρός (pylorós) — provider of platform services with specific characteristics
Real reading context

gatekeeper in complete knowledge articles