English Reference
Noun

gatekeeper

n. countable
C1 Advanced US /ˈɡeɪtˌkipɝ/ UK /ɡˈeɪtkiːpɐ/ gate·keep·er UK spelling gatekeepers Computing Psychology

n.a person or system that controls who can enter a place or who can get information. In computing, it is often a security tool that checks if a request is safe.

n.a person or entity that controls access to a resource, information, or location. In technical contexts, it refers to a security mechanism or software that filters and authorizes network traffic or data requests.


SIMPLE

The security guard acts as a gatekeeper for the building.

CONTEXTUAL

In many organizations, the manager serves as a gatekeeper, deciding which projects receive funding and which do not.

COMPLEX

Modern cybersecurity architectures often employ a gatekeeper at the network perimeter to filter out malicious traffic before it can reach internal servers or sensitive databases.

It urged cinemas to "act as gatekeepers for the audience, and clearly reject films that are obviously not up to standard instead of letting films like Niu Lai run rampant".

BBC News· 17 Aug 2026

These gatekeepers understand that working-class people have a harder time running for office .

The Conversation· 20 Aug 2026

From gate + keeper.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated