# glass ceiling

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/glass-ceiling
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion, in employment and elsewhere, for a member of a specific demographic group (originally women).

## Examples

- She hit a glass ceiling at work and couldn't get promoted.
- Many talented workers quit when they finally face a glass ceiling.
- Despite her qualifications, she felt the glass ceiling kept her from reaching senior management.
- The company claims to value diversity, yet the glass ceiling remains obvious because every person in the boardroom is from the same background.
- The study revealed that minority candidates confronted a glass ceiling so pervasive it shaped every stage of their careers, from hiring to executive selection.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.