Barricade vs. Barrier — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 22, 2024
A barricade is often a temporary structure designed to block or defend, while a barrier is a broader term for any obstacle that prevents movement or access.
Difference Between Barricade and Barrier
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Barricades are primarily used for control or defense in situations such as protests or construction sites, offering a temporary solution to restrict access or control crowds. Whereas barriers can be natural or man-made and serve a wide range of purposes, from sound reduction to controlling the flow of water.
Barricades often have a specific tactical or protective purpose, making them common in emergency or conflict situations to offer physical protection or to control the movement of people. On the other hand, barriers are used in various contexts, including road safety, environmental protection, and architecture, illustrating their versatility.
While barricades are typically movable and can be set up or taken down as needed, barriers can be either permanent structures, like walls and fences, or temporary, like roadblocks. This distinction highlights the adaptability of barricades in various scenarios compared to the more static nature of many barriers.
Barricades are commonly associated with human-made interventions in public spaces, signifying a deliberate action to modify behavior or movement for safety, security, or crowd control. Conversely, barriers can be naturally occurring features such as mountains and rivers, emphasizing their role in shaping the physical and societal landscape.
The design of barricades is often focused on being sturdy yet lightweight to facilitate quick deployment and removal, reflecting their role in response to immediate needs. Barriers, however, are designed with a broader range of materials and considerations, depending on their intended use, from aesthetic to functional, highlighting the diversity in their construction and purpose.
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Comparison Chart
Purpose
Primarily for temporary control or defense
Can be for permanent or temporary obstruction
Usage Context
Emergencies, protests, construction
Environmental, architectural, safety
Nature
Often portable and adjustable
Can be fixed or mobile, natural or man-made
Design
Designed for quick deployment
Varied designs based on function
Examples
Police barricades at a demonstration
Sea walls, sound barriers
Compare with Definitions
Barricade
A temporary structure set up to block passage or sight.
Police set up a barricade to control the crowd during the parade.
Barrier
Something that prevents access or progress.
Language is often a barrier to understanding in international relations.
Barricade
A barrier to prevent access to an area.
Barricades were erected around the construction site for safety.
Barrier
A structure or object that impedes free movement.
The great barrier reef is a natural obstacle for ships.
Barricade
An obstruction used for defense in warfare.
Soldiers constructed a barricade to protect their position.
Barrier
A protective boundary or enclosure.
The garden was surrounded by a barrier to keep the deer out.
Barricade
Any barrier that blocks or defends.
The protesters used cars as barricades to block the road.
Barrier
An obstacle to be overcome.
Financial barriers can hinder access to higher education.
Barricade
An improvised barrier created from available materials.
The community set up barricades with furniture during the flood.
Barrier
A means of protection against environmental elements.
The mountain range acts as a barrier against storms.
Barricade
Barricade (from the French barrique - 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. Adopted as a military term, a barricade denotes any improvised field fortification, such as on city streets during urban warfare.
Barrier
A fence or other obstacle that prevents movement or access
The mountain barrier between Norway and Sweden
Barricade
A usually improvised structure set up, as across a route of access, to obstruct the passage of an enemy or opponent.
Barrier
A material formation or structure, such as a mountain range or wall, that prevents passage or access.
Barricade
A usually temporary structure set up to restrict or control the movement of people or conveyances
Stood behind the barricades watching the parade.
Barrier
Something immaterial that obstructs or impedes
Lack of education can be a barrier to success.
Barricade
Something that serves as an obstacle; a barrier
"One of those wild minds who saw bridges where others saw barricades" (Patricia Monaghan).
Barrier
(Physiology) A membrane, tissue, or mechanism that blocks the passage of certain substances.
Barricade
To close off or block with a barricade.
Barrier
(Ecology) A physical or biological factor that limits the migration, interbreeding, or free movement of individuals or populations.
Barricade
To shut (oneself) in by means of a barricade, as for protection or privacy.
Barrier
A movable gate that keeps racehorses in line before the start of a race.
Barricade
A barrier constructed across a road, especially as a military defence
Barrier
Often barriers The palisades or fences enclosing the lists of a medieval tournament.
Barricade
An obstacle, barrier, or bulwark.
Barrier
(Geology) An ice barrier.
Barricade
A place of confrontation.
Barrier
A structure that bars passage.
The bus went through a railway barrier and was hit by a train.
The bomber had passed through one checkpoint before blowing himself up at a second barrier.
Barricade
To close or block a road etc., using a barricade
Barrier
An obstacle or impediment.
Even a small fee can be a barrier for some students.
Barricade
To keep someone in (or out), using a blockade, especially ships in a port
Barrier
A boundary or limit.
Few marathon runners break the three-hour time barrier.
Barricade
A fortification, made in haste, of trees, earth, palisades, wagons, or anything that will obstruct the progress or attack of an enemy. It is usually an obstruction formed in streets to block an enemy's access.
Barrier
(grammar) A node (in government and binding theory) said to intervene between other nodes A and B if it is a potential governor for B, c-commands B, and does not c-command A.
Barricade
Any bar, obstruction, or means of defense.
Such a barricade as would greatly annoy, or absolutely stop, the currents of the atmosphere.
Barrier
(physiology) A separation between two areas of the body where specialized cells allow the entry of certain substances but prevent the entry of others.
Barricade
To fortify or close with a barricade or with barricades; to stop up, as a passage; to obstruct; as, the workmen barricaded the streets of Paris.
The further end whereof [a bridge] was barricaded with barrels.
Barrier
(historical) The lists in a tournament.
Barricade
A barrier set up by police to stop traffic on a street or road in order to catch a fugitive or inspect traffic etc.
Barrier
A martial exercise of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Barricade
A barrier (usually thrown up hastily so as to impede the advance of an enemy);
They enemy stormed the barricade
Barrier
(transitive) To block or obstruct with a barrier.
Barricade
Render unsuitable for passage;
Block the way
Barricade the streets
Stop the busy road
Barrier
A carpentry obstruction, stockade, or other obstacle made in a passage in order to stop an enemy.
Barricade
Prevent access to by barricading;
The street where the President lives is always barricaded
Barrier
A fortress or fortified town, on the frontier of a country, commanding an avenue of approach.
Barricade
Block off with barricades
Barrier
A fence or railing to mark the limits of a place, or to keep back a crowd.
No sooner were the barriers opened, than he paced into the lists.
Barrier
Any obstruction; anything which hinders approach or attack.
Barrier
Any limit or boundary; a line of separation.
'Twixt that [instinct] and reason, what a nice barrier!
Barrier
A structure or object that impedes free movement
Barrier
Any condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective;
Intolerance is a barrier to understanding
Barrier
Anything serving to maintain separation by obstructing vision or access
Common Curiosities
What are common uses of barriers?
Barriers are used for safety, environmental protection, and to control the flow of movement.
How do barricades differ from barriers in design?
Barricades are designed for quick deployment and removal, whereas barriers may have varied designs based on their function.
Can barriers be natural?
Yes, barriers can be both natural, like rivers and mountains, and man-made, like walls and fences.
Are barricades always temporary?
While not always, barricades are predominantly used for temporary purposes.
Can a barricade serve as a barrier?
Yes, a barricade is a type of barrier specifically designed to block or defend.
How do natural barriers impact human activity?
Natural barriers can significantly influence settlement patterns, transportation routes, and strategic defense.
How do barriers contribute to road safety?
Barriers such as guardrails prevent vehicles from veering off roads, enhancing safety.
What materials are commonly used to create barricades?
Materials like metal, wood, and plastic are common for creating movable barricades.
What is the main purpose of a barricade?
To temporarily control or defend a space by blocking access or sight.
Can barriers be used for environmental protection?
Yes, barriers like sea walls are used to protect against environmental hazards.
Are barriers always physical structures?
While often physical, barriers can also be metaphorical, like language barriers.
Is a fence considered a barricade or barrier?
A fence is typically considered a barrier, as it is usually a permanent structure designed to enclose an area.
Are all barricades built by authorities?
No, barricades can also be improvised by citizens or groups for various purposes.
What role do barricades play in public safety?
They are crucial for crowd control, traffic management, and ensuring public safety during events or emergencies.
Can the concept of a barrier be applied in social contexts?
Yes, social and psychological barriers can influence behavior and interactions among individuals and groups.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
