noun
Powered by Oxford Languages
Metaphor used to represent an invisible barrier that keeps a given group from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy
A glass ceiling is a metaphor usually applied to people of marginalized genders, used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents an oppressed demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy. No matter how invisible the glass ceiling is expressed, it is actually an obstacle difficult to overcome. The metaphor was first used by feminists in reference to barriers in the careers of ... Wikipedia
