gatekeeper

noun

gate·​keep·​er ˈgāt-ˌkē-pər How to pronounce gatekeeper (audio)
1
: one that tends or guards a gate
2
: a person who controls access
gatekeeping noun

Examples of gatekeeper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Of course, other Apple and Microsoft platforms like iOS and Windows are very much designated as gatekeepers. David Meyer, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024 In most countries, national health plans are the gatekeepers that examine whether treatments are safe, effective, reasonable, and necessary. Diana Zuckerman, STAT, 2 Feb. 2024 However, as figures like Moxie Marlinspike, creator of secure messaging app Signal, have argued, the clunkiness of blockchain might simply drive people toward new intermediaries that can make things simpler, replacing old rent-seeking gatekeepers with new ones. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2024 Beyond the secondhand embarrassment inspired by such declarations, the film suggests, white gatekeepers’ narrow views of Black life really do thwart Black creators’ artistic growth and money-earning potential. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2024 Adopting a Lattice Hierarchy Traditional hierarchical structures often stifle innovation, with a single gatekeeper having the power to dismiss new ideas. Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Known as the gatekeeper of Graceland, his working relationship with the museum and Elvis Presley Enterprises continued until his death. Jaden Thompson, Variety, 24 Jan. 2024 But in 2023 there is certainly a sense that women are helping women, and the gatekeepers to capital are the ones who could extend a hand. Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2023 The $10 billion-a-year sports agency business is almost as hard to break into as the big leagues themselves — the gatekeepers are entrenched and powerful, and the cost of competing with them can be prohibitive. Dave Brooks, Billboard, 9 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gatekeeper was in 1572

Dictionary Entries Near gatekeeper

Cite this Entry

“Gatekeeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gatekeeper. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gatekeeper

noun
gate·​keep·​er -ˌkē-pər How to pronounce gatekeeper (audio)
1
: a person who tends or guards a gate
2
: a person who controls access

Medical Definition

gatekeeper

noun
gate·​keep·​er -ˌkē-pər How to pronounce gatekeeper (audio)
: a health-care professional (as a primary care physician) who regulates access especially to hospitals and specialists
managed care plans rely on a designated physician gatekeeper to orchestrate and control the health care of its enrolleesE. A. Halm et al.

More from Merriam-Webster on gatekeeper

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