Dictionary

revolving door en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. A door that rotates around a central pivot.
2. (figuratively) A system or institution that people exit and immediately reenter.
   • Indeed, we happily condemn damaged children – at enormous expense – to hellholes like Feltham, where they are more likely to be assaulted or killed than to find an escape from the revolving doors of courts, prisons and addiction. 2020 July 23, Chris Daw, “'A stain on national life': why are we locking up so many children?'”, in The Guardian:
   • After the prime minister’s abrupt Downing Street statement, in which she announced that another leadership contest would be held within a week, Starmer attacked what he called “this revolving door of chaos”. 2022 October 20, Heather Stewart, quoting Keir Starmer, “Keir Starmer renews call for immediate general election after Truss resigns”, in The Guardian:
3. A movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators, on the one hand, and members of the industries affected by the legislation and regulation, on the other.
   • We've had 14 Secretaries of State through the revolving door in the first 23 years of this century. And the civil servants rotate through the departments with similar speed. 2023 June 28, Anthony Smith talks to Paul Clifton, “The industry has to go back to basics”, in RAIL, number 986, page 40:
   • Indeed, of all the companies in the US, Monsanto is perhaps the most notorious for the “revolving door” between its top management and the key staffers of the federal agencies that write the rules governing its products. 2025, James Corbett, “Biotech Billionaires and GMO Doomsday”, in Reportage: Essays on the New World Order, Atlanta, Georgia: Editions Shukutou, published 2025, →ISBN, page 152, lines 19-23:
4. Synonym of recidivism.

Forms

Deriveds

revolving door syndrome

Synonyms

recidivism

Translations (51)

fi pyöröovi (door that rotates) · sv svängdörr (door that rotates) · sh окретна врата (door that rotates) · ja 回転ドア方式 (politics) · ru враща́ющаяся дверь (door that rotates) · tr döner kapı (door that rotates) · de Drehtür (door that rotates) · sv roterande dörr (door that rotates) · ca porta giratòria (door that rotates) · pdt Dreidäa (door that rotates) · ro ușă tambur (door that rotates) · cmn 旋轉門 /旋转门 (door that rotates) · ja 回転扉 (door that rotates) · it bussola (door that rotates) · fi pyöröovi-ilmiö (politics) · ja 回転ドア人事 (politics) · ja 回転ドア (door that rotates) · cmn 旋轉門現象 /旋转门现象 (politics) · ro ușă turnantă (door that rotates) · pl drzwi obrotowe (door that rotates) · gl porta xiratoria (politics) · pt porta giratòria (politics) · it porta girevole (door that rotates) · ga doras imrothlach (door that rotates) · nl draaideurpolitiek (politics) · lv virpuļdurvis (door that rotates) · ro ușă giratorie (door that rotates) · hu forgóajtó (door that rotates) · da svingdør (door that rotates) · vi cửa xoay (door that rotates) · ko 회전문 인사 (politics) · fr porte tournante (door that rotates) · es puerta giratoria (door that rotates) · vi cửa quay (door that rotates) · ca porta giratòria (politics) · alt эбирткиш (door that rotates) · es puerta giratoria (politics) · ru дверь-верту́шка (door that rotates) · sh okretna vrata (door that rotates) · cy drws tro (door that rotates) · ko 회전문 (door that rotates) · gl porta xiratoria (door that rotates) · de Drehtür-Effekt (politics) · ro ușă rotativă (door that rotates) · sv karuselldörr (door that rotates) · nl draaideur (door that rotates) · it porta girevole (politics) · fr pantouflage (politics) · bg въртяща се врата (door that rotates) · pt porta giratória (door that rotates) · sv roterdörr (door that rotates)