noun · 3 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
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Received-Pronunciation:/ɡlɑːs ˈsiːlɪŋ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ɡlæs-/
General-American:/ɡlæs ˈsilɪŋ/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːlɪŋ
1
noun
Meaning 1
An unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion, in employment and elsewhere, for a member of a specific demographic group (originally women).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A barrier to progression that is not obvious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a ceiling based on attitudinal or organizational bias in the work force that prevents minorities and women from advancing to leadership positions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ceiling, roof, cap
History
Etymology
From glass + ceiling, a metaphor using ceiling to suggest a barrier to upward mobility, and glass to allude to the often unacknowledged or “invisible” nature of this limitation. The term was coined by the American diversity advocate, management consultant, and writer Marilyn Loden (1946–2022), who referred to the “invisible glass ceiling” during a panel discussion about women’s aspirations in 1978.
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
السقف الزجاجي
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Armenian:
ապակե առաստաղ
(apake aṙastaġ)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Azerbaijani:
şüşə tavan
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Basque:
kristalezko sabai
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Bengali:
গ্লাস সিলিং
(glaś śiliṅ)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Bulgarian:
стъклен таван
(stǎklen tavan)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Catalan:
sostre de vidre
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Chinese Mandarin:
玻璃天花板
(bōli tiānhuābǎn)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Czech:
skleněný strop
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Danish:
glasloft
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Dutch:
glazen plafond
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Finnish:
lasikatto
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
French:
plafond de verre
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Galician:
teito de cristal
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Galician:
teito de vidro
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Georgian:
მინის ჭერი
(minis č̣eri)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Georgian:
შუშის ჭერი
(šušis č̣eri)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
German:
Gläserne Decke
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Greek:
γυάλινη οροφή
(gyálini orofí)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Hebrew:
תִּקְרַת זְכוּכִית
(tikrát zkhukhít)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Hungarian:
üvegplafon
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Indonesian:
langit-langit kaca
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Italian:
glass ceiling
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Italian:
soffitto di cristallo
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Italian:
soffitto di vetro
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Italian:
tetto di cristallo
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Japanese:
ガラスの天井
(garasu no tenjō)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Korean:
유리천장
(yuricheonjang)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Malay:
siling kaca
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Occitan:
plafon de veire
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Persian:
سقف شیشهای
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Polish:
szklany sufit
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Portuguese:
telhado de vidro
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Portuguese:
teto de vidro
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Romanian:
plafon de sticlă
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Russian:
стекля́нный потоло́к
(stekljánnyj potolók)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Serbo-Croatian:
ста̀кленӣ пла̀фо̄н
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Serbo-Croatian:
stàklenī plàfōn
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Spanish:
techo de cristal
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Swedish:
glastak
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Turkish:
cam tavan
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
Ukrainian:
скляна́ сте́ля
(skljaná stélja)
— unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious
