"gatekeep" meaning in English

See gatekeep in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈɡeɪt.kiːp/ Audio: En-au-gatekeep.ogg Forms: gatekeeps [plural]
Etymology: From gate + keep, as back-formation from gatekeeper. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|gate|keep}} gate + keep, {{back-formation|en|gatekeeper|nocap=1}} back-formation from gatekeeper Head templates: {{en-noun}} gatekeep (plural gatekeeps)
  1. A gatekeeper. Translations (Translations): porteirador [masculine] (Portuguese), porteiradora [feminine] (Portuguese), porteiradore [neuter] (Portuguese)
    Sense id: en-gatekeep-en-noun-X-LyVMVp
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: gate-keep

Verb

IPA: /ˈɡeɪt.kiːp/ Audio: En-au-gatekeep.ogg Forms: gatekeeps [present, singular, third-person], gatekeeping [participle, present], gatekept [participle, past], gatekept [past]
Etymology: From gate + keep, as back-formation from gatekeeper. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|gate|keep}} gate + keep, {{back-formation|en|gatekeeper|nocap=1}} back-formation from gatekeeper Head templates: {{en-verb|gatekeeps|gatekeeping|gatekept}} gatekeep (third-person singular simple present gatekeeps, present participle gatekeeping, simple past and past participle gatekept)
  1. To control or limit access to something.
    Sense id: en-gatekeep-en-verb-41SfgtAu
  2. (sociology) To limit (sometimes manipulatively, rather than directly) how much of a role another party, often a spouse, has in some task. Categories (topical): Sociology Translations (Translations): porteirar (Portuguese)
    Sense id: en-gatekeep-en-verb-lFnpRwow Categories (other): English back-formations, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Portuguese translations Disambiguation of English back-formations: 12 18 48 22 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 20 52 22 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 11 16 40 33 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 8 25 48 19 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 11 60 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 26 14 43 17 Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology Disambiguation of 'Translations': 9 54 37
  3. (by extension) To limit another party's participation in a collective identity or an activity, usually due to undue pettiness, resentment, or overprotectiveness. Tags: broadly
    Sense id: en-gatekeep-en-verb-AJCyRCEm
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: gate-keep Derived forms: gatekeeper, gate-keepy Related terms: no true Scotsman fallacy

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "gatekeeper"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "gate-keepy"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gate",
        "3": "keep"
      },
      "expansion": "gate + keep",
      "name": "compound"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gatekeeper",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from gatekeeper",
      "name": "back-formation"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From gate + keep, as back-formation from gatekeeper.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "gatekeeps",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gatekeeping",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gatekept",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gatekept",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gatekeeps",
        "2": "gatekeeping",
        "3": "gatekept"
      },
      "expansion": "gatekeep (third-person singular simple present gatekeeps, present participle gatekeeping, simple past and past participle gatekept)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "no true Scotsman fallacy"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To control or limit access to something."
      ],
      "id": "en-gatekeep-en-verb-41SfgtAu",
      "links": [
        [
          "control",
          "control"
        ],
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "access",
          "access"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sociology",
          "orig": "en:Sociology",
          "parents": [
            "Social sciences",
            "Sciences",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 18 48 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English back-formations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 20 52 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 16 40 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 25 48 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 11 60 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 14 43 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To limit (sometimes manipulatively, rather than directly) how much of a role another party, often a spouse, has in some task."
      ],
      "id": "en-gatekeep-en-verb-lFnpRwow",
      "links": [
        [
          "sociology",
          "sociology"
        ],
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "manipulatively",
          "manipulatively"
        ],
        [
          "directly",
          "directly"
        ],
        [
          "role",
          "role"
        ],
        [
          "spouse",
          "spouse"
        ],
        [
          "task",
          "task"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sociology) To limit (sometimes manipulatively, rather than directly) how much of a role another party, often a spouse, has in some task."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "sciences",
        "social-science",
        "sociology"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "9 54 37",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "porteirar"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To limit another party's participation in a collective identity or an activity, usually due to undue pettiness, resentment, or overprotectiveness."
      ],
      "id": "en-gatekeep-en-verb-AJCyRCEm",
      "links": [
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "participation",
          "participation"
        ],
        [
          "collective",
          "collective"
        ],
        [
          "identity",
          "identity"
        ],
        [
          "activity",
          "activity"
        ],
        [
          "undue",
          "undue"
        ],
        [
          "pettiness",
          "pettiness"
        ],
        [
          "resentment",
          "resentment"
        ],
        [
          "overprotectiveness",
          "overprotectiveness"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) To limit another party's participation in a collective identity or an activity, usually due to undue pettiness, resentment, or overprotectiveness."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡeɪt.kiːp/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-gatekeep.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/En-au-gatekeep.ogg/En-au-gatekeep.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/En-au-gatekeep.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "gate-keep"
    }
  ],
  "word": "gatekeep"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gate",
        "3": "keep"
      },
      "expansion": "gate + keep",
      "name": "compound"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gatekeeper",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from gatekeeper",
      "name": "back-formation"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From gate + keep, as back-formation from gatekeeper.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "gatekeeps",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "gatekeep (plural gatekeeps)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1949, Laverne Gay, Wine of Ssatan a Novel of the First Crusade, page 129:",
          "text": "Similar remarks had passed the cherry-stained lips a hundred times, and this one was brought on just after the gatekeep at the north postern of Bull Joy had slyly given the wink behind \"her husband's\" broad back.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1969, Donald M. Hines, Dust Devils in the Great Desert:",
          "text": "A gentleman stopped his horse at a toll-gate and not seeing the gatekeep went into the house.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1987, Maggie Osborne, Chase the Heart, page 278:",
          "text": "Though there was a moment of anxiety, a generous bribe persuaded the gatekeep to overlook their expired passports and they rode into Calais.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017, Jeannie Troll, A Clever Girl:",
          "text": "“At least those doxies don't fancy themselves the gatekeeps of God, like the priest.” Margit said.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A gatekeeper."
      ],
      "id": "en-gatekeep-en-noun-X-LyVMVp",
      "links": [
        [
          "gatekeeper",
          "gatekeeper"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "porteirador"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "porteiradora"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "porteiradore"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡeɪt.kiːp/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-gatekeep.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/En-au-gatekeep.ogg/En-au-gatekeep.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/En-au-gatekeep.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "gate-keep"
    }
  ],
  "word": "gatekeep"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English back-formations",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "gatekeeper"
    },
    {
      "word": "gate-keepy"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gate",
        "3": "keep"
      },
      "expansion": "gate + keep",
      "name": "compound"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gatekeeper",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from gatekeeper",
      "name": "back-formation"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From gate + keep, as back-formation from gatekeeper.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "gatekeeps",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gatekeeping",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gatekept",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gatekept",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
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  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gatekeeps",
        "2": "gatekeeping",
        "3": "gatekept"
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      "name": "en-verb"
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "no true Scotsman fallacy"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To control or limit access to something."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "control",
          "control"
        ],
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "access",
          "access"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Sociology"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To limit (sometimes manipulatively, rather than directly) how much of a role another party, often a spouse, has in some task."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sociology",
          "sociology"
        ],
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "manipulatively",
          "manipulatively"
        ],
        [
          "directly",
          "directly"
        ],
        [
          "role",
          "role"
        ],
        [
          "spouse",
          "spouse"
        ],
        [
          "task",
          "task"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sociology) To limit (sometimes manipulatively, rather than directly) how much of a role another party, often a spouse, has in some task."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "sciences",
        "social-science",
        "sociology"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To limit another party's participation in a collective identity or an activity, usually due to undue pettiness, resentment, or overprotectiveness."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "participation",
          "participation"
        ],
        [
          "collective",
          "collective"
        ],
        [
          "identity",
          "identity"
        ],
        [
          "activity",
          "activity"
        ],
        [
          "undue",
          "undue"
        ],
        [
          "pettiness",
          "pettiness"
        ],
        [
          "resentment",
          "resentment"
        ],
        [
          "overprotectiveness",
          "overprotectiveness"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) To limit another party's participation in a collective identity or an activity, usually due to undue pettiness, resentment, or overprotectiveness."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡeɪt.kiːp/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-gatekeep.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/En-au-gatekeep.ogg/En-au-gatekeep.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/En-au-gatekeep.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "gate-keep"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "porteirar"
    }
  ],
  "word": "gatekeep"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English back-formations",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gate",
        "3": "keep"
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      "expansion": "gate + keep",
      "name": "compound"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gatekeeper",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from gatekeeper",
      "name": "back-formation"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From gate + keep, as back-formation from gatekeeper.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "gatekeeps",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "gatekeep (plural gatekeeps)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1949, Laverne Gay, Wine of Ssatan a Novel of the First Crusade, page 129:",
          "text": "Similar remarks had passed the cherry-stained lips a hundred times, and this one was brought on just after the gatekeep at the north postern of Bull Joy had slyly given the wink behind \"her husband's\" broad back.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1969, Donald M. Hines, Dust Devils in the Great Desert:",
          "text": "A gentleman stopped his horse at a toll-gate and not seeing the gatekeep went into the house.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1987, Maggie Osborne, Chase the Heart, page 278:",
          "text": "Though there was a moment of anxiety, a generous bribe persuaded the gatekeep to overlook their expired passports and they rode into Calais.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017, Jeannie Troll, A Clever Girl:",
          "text": "“At least those doxies don't fancy themselves the gatekeeps of God, like the priest.” Margit said.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A gatekeeper."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "gatekeeper",
          "gatekeeper"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡeɪt.kiːp/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-gatekeep.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/En-au-gatekeep.ogg/En-au-gatekeep.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/En-au-gatekeep.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "gate-keep"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "porteirador"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "porteiradora"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "porteiradore"
    }
  ],
  "word": "gatekeep"
}

Download raw JSONL data for gatekeep meaning in English (5.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (df33d17 and 4ed51a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.