What does "barricade" mean?
A barrier constructed across a road, especially as a military defence
Barricade
/ˌbæɹɪˈkeɪd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A barrier constructed across a road, especially as a military defence
- Grammar: barricade is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: roadblock, abatis, advanced work, arm.
- Useful contrasts: breach, clear, enable access.
- Usage evidence: The rebels made a barricade across the road.
How to use "barricade"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "barricade" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "barricade" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "barricade" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "barricade" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "barricade" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "roadblock" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "barricade", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A barrier constructed across a road, especially as a military defence
- 2 a barrier (usually thrown up hastily) to impede the advance of an enemy wordnet
- 3 An obstacle, barrier, or bulwark.
"Such a barricade as would greatly annoy, or absolutely stop, the currents of the atmosphere."
- 4 a barrier set up by police to stop traffic on a street or road in order to catch a fugitive or inspect traffic etc. wordnet
- 5 A place of confrontation. figuratively, in-plural
"I have a friend who finds the whole idea of a gay marching band distasteful on the grounds that it replicates straight culture. I'm not ready to follow her to the barricades on that because I think that to some extent the sight of women banging bass drums and men prancing around in pink spandex has to undermine a patriarchal and heterosexist assumption or two."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Line of people standing behind or closest to the barricade in the pit section of a live music concert. figuratively
Verb
- 1 To close or block a road etc., as, or using, a barricade.
"I stood beside the sources of the Arveiron, which take their rise in a glacier, that with slow pace is advancing down from the summit of the hills, to barricade the valley."
- 2 block off with barricades wordnet
- 3 To keep someone in (or out), using a blockade, especially ships in a port.
- 4 prevent access to by barricading wordnet
- 5 render unsuitable for passage wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The rebels made a barricade across the road."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "barricade"?
Common synonyms include: roadblock, abatis, advanced work, arm, armor, armor-plate.
How do you use "barricade" in a sentence?
The rebels made a barricade across the road.
How do you pronounce "barricade"?
Pronounced /ˌbæɹɪˈkeɪd/.
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from French barricade, or an assimilation of the earlier barricado to the French form. The verb is from the noun or French barricader.