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

those who are hopelessly unhip have little chance of making past the club's gatekeeper and his velvet rope
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But contending with the tsunami of cheaper fraudulent art is just one challenge in a world where Native artists must navigate a knot of sellers, dealers, museum operators and other gatekeepers who have long tried to define Native art, pushing artists to make what sells. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024 Very little of that is the direct byproduct of Hield’s own splendor (the Warriors have had great opponent shooting luck in his minutes, and over half of his minutes have been shared with the venerable gatekeeper, Draymond Green). Mat Issa, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 He himself was long shunned by the art world before his work started to sell, and his show suggests that maybe the traditional gatekeepers are not always the best arbiters of what is good and what’s not. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024 If Garcia was Captain Trips, Lesh could be General Trips: the band’s gatekeeper, mad scientist, and, ultimately, the fiercest defender of their mission. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gatekeeper 

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 30 Nov. 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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