gatekeeper

noun

gate·​keep·​er ˈgāt-ˌkē-pər 

1

: one that tends or guards a gate

2

: a person who controls access

gatekeeping

ˈgāt-ˌkē-piŋ 

noun

Synonyms

• doorkeeper
• doorman
• janitor
• porter [chiefly British]

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

Initially introduced to help researchers gauge whether their findings were likely due to chance, the p-value has since evolved into a rigid gatekeeper. —Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2024

The apparent CMAs snub lines up with the perception—noted by Beyoncé herself, and explored in the discourse that exploded around the album—that country music gatekeepers wish to make its institutions exclusive clubs, unwelcoming to outsiders and particularly to Black women. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 Sep. 2024

But more right-wing gatekeepers are shrouding that bigotry in a cloak of objectivity and pseudoscientific justification. —Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2024

There is still so much innovation happening in this medium that’s being ignored by the gatekeepers. —Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gatekeeper

noun

gate·​keep·​er -ˌkē-pər 

1

: a person who tends or guards a gate

2

: a person who controls access

Medical Definition

gatekeeper

noun

gate·​keep·​er -ˌkē-pər 

: 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 enrollees

—E. A. Halm et al.