Dictionary

glass ceiling en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /ɡlæs ˈsilɪŋ/ (General-American)
• /ɡlɑːs ˈsiːlɪŋ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio
• /ɡlæs-/ (Received-Pronunciation)

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.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) An unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion, in employment and elsewhere, for a member of a specific demographic group (originally women).
   • My father [Henryk Holland] really believed at some point that [communism] would be great for humanity, perhaps also because he was facing all the glass ceilings for being a Jewish boy […] 2023 October 13, Raphael Minder, quoting Agnieszka Holland, “Lunch with the FT: Filmmaker Agnieszka Holland: ‘It’s possible to commit the worst crimes and never pay’”, in Financial Times (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 07 Apr 2024, page 3:
   • And yet as we stand amid the metaphorical shards of all those shattered glass ceilings, it's hard to ignore the fact that empowerment feminism hasn't really delivered on its promises. 2022 July 29, Lux Alptraum, “Women, the game is rigged. It's time we stop playing by the rules.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Jan 2025:
   • [I]t was the genteel chauvinism of the enlightened elites at Kleiner Perkins that carried with it the sting of betrayal. They promised her [Ellen Pao] a meritocracy and gave her a glass ceiling instead: "It just wasn't fair." 2017 September 19, Jennifer Szalai, “The Education of Ellen Pao [review of Pao’s book Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change (2017)]”, in The New York Times Book Review, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2025:
   • "Has the glass ceiling shattered?" said Bakari Sellers, a political ally of [Kamala] Harris. "No, but it does have another crack." 2021 November 19, Chris Megerian, quoting Bakari Sellers, “Kamala Harris makes history, again, as first woman with presidential power – for 85 minutes”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2024:
   • There are fears of hitting a "glass ceiling" beyond which known or suspected gay men and lesbians cannot rise. According to Fortune: / In a 1987 survey by the Wall Street Journal, 66% of major-company CEO's said they would be reluctant to put a homosexual on management committees; while attitudes may have changed since, there's no evidence of a revolution. 1991 December 15, Kathyrin E. Diaz, “Telling Fortune: A Media Watch Report”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 22, Boston, Mass.: The Bromfield Street Educational Foundation, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 7, column 1:
   • Women have reached a certain point—I call it the glass ceiling. They're in the top of middle management and they're stopping and getting stuck. There isn't enough room for all those women at the top. Some are going into business for themselves. Others are going out and raising families. 1984 March 15, Nora Frenkiel, quoting Gay Bryant, “The Up-and-Comers; Bryant Takes Aim at the Settlers-in”, in Adweek: Magazine World 1984 Supplement, New York, N.Y.: A/S/M Communications, →OCLC, page 39, column 2:
   • The glass ceiling is still holding back 6,000 women from the top 33,000 jobs in Britain, according to new research from the Equal Opportunities Commission. Thirty years after the introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act, women are "woefully under-represented" in the country's boardrooms, politics and courts, it says. 2007 January 5, Polly Curtis, “Six thousand women missing from boardrooms, politics and courts”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Dec 2023:
   • A recent Wall Street Journal report describes the invisible barrier at the top as "the glass ceiling" and speculates that it is caused by corporate tradition and prejudice—the same factors that had to be dealt with years ago in order for women to make it beyond the steno pool. […] In the spate of recent articles about glass ceilings faced by women, it's been said that men at the top feel uncomfortable with women of equal or nearly equal power. One high-level vice president quoted her boss as saying, "It was his problem, but he couldn't make serious decisions if a woman was in the room." 1986 June 18, Rusty Brown, “The glass ceiling”, in Dan Bolton, editor, Lompoc Record, volume 112, number 60, Lompoc, Calif.: Donrey Media Group, →OCLC, page A4, column 2:
2. (figuratively, idiomatic) A barrier to progression that is not obvious.
   • After several spirited assaults, the FT SE's 3200 glass ceiling finally gave way yesterday, allowing the index to close sharply higher after a day of drifting. 1994 August 25, Charles Pretzlik, “The Market: Ceiling gives way thanks to Uncle Sam”, in The Daily Telegraph, number 43,288, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 25, column 1:

Forms

Coordinates

rainbow ceiling · silver ceiling · paper ceiling · maternal wall · pink ceiling · lavender ceiling · cotton ceiling · gray ceiling · marble ceiling · bamboo ceiling

Deriveds

glass cliff

Translations (42)

ms 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) · el γυάλινη οροφή (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · ja ガラスの天井 (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · es 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) · uk скляна́ сте́ля (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · id 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) · sv 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) · ka მინის ჭერი (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · tr 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) · sh 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) · hy ապակե առաստաղ (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · cmn 玻璃天花板 (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · gl 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) · oc 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) · pt 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) · it 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) · de 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) · nl 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) · hu 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) · it 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) · ko 유리천장 (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · da 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) · fa 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) · pt 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) · cs 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) · fr 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) · it 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) · fi 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) · ka შუშის ჭერი (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · ca 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) · sh 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) · ro 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) · ar 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) · eu 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) · it 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) · bg стъклен таван (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · he תִּקְרַת זְכוּכִית (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · ru стекля́нный потоло́к (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · bn গ্লাস সিলিং (unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion for a member of a specific demographic group; barrier to progression that is not obvious) · pl 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) · gl 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) · az 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)