Fence vs. Wall — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 8, 2024
A fence is a structure serving as a barrier, usually made of wire or wood, designed to enclose an area, while a wall is a solid construction that defines boundaries and provides security or shelter, often made of bricks, stones, or concrete.
Difference Between Fence and Wall
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A fence is typically constructed from materials such as wood, wire, or metal, making it lighter and often used for enclosing spaces without obstructing views. On the other hand, walls are built from more solid materials like bricks, stones, or concrete. They are designed to provide security, privacy, and protection against elements such as wind and noise.
Fences are preferred for agricultural, residential, or decorative purposes, as they can be easily installed and modified. They often serve as barriers for animals or to demarcate property lines. Walls are a common feature in buildings and homes, forming an integral part of the structure. They are also used to delineate boundaries but offer a higher level of security and privacy compared to fences.
Fences offer flexibility in terms of design and materials, allowing for a variety of styles ranging from simple chain-link fences to elaborate wrought iron designs. Walls, however, are more permanent and require significant effort and resources to construct and modify.
Maintenance requirements for fences and walls vary significantly. Fences, depending on the material, may require regular maintenance such as painting, staining, or repairs to ensure longevity. Wooden fences, in particular, are susceptible to weathering and pest damage. Walls generally require less frequent maintenance but can be more challenging and expensive to repair. Masonry walls may need occasional repointing or sealing to maintain their integrity.
Comparison Chart
Materials
Wood, wire, metal
Bricks, stones, concrete
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Purpose
Enclosure, decoration, property delineation
Security, privacy, structural support
Installation
Easier, less time-consuming
More complex, time-consuming
Flexibility
High, easy to modify
Low, difficult to modify
Maintenance
Variable, may require regular upkeep
Generally lower, but repairs can be costly
Compare with Definitions
Fence
A structure serving as a barrier or boundary, usually made of posts and wire or wood.
They installed a wooden fence around the backyard for privacy.
Wall
More permanent and offers higher resistance against elements and intrusion.
The concrete wall effectively blocks noise from the street.
Fence
Easily installed and modified to suit different purposes.
They added a section to the fence to enclose the new garden area.
Wall
Integral to building construction, supporting roofs and floors.
Load-bearing walls are essential for the structural integrity of the building.
Fence
Used for protection or to prevent escape.
The electric fence keeps the livestock from wandering off.
Wall
Can be used for aesthetic purposes, with various finishes and materials.
The living room features a brick accent wall for added texture.
Fence
Often requires regular maintenance such as painting or repairs.
They repaint the fence every few years to keep it looking new.
Wall
Requires less frequent but potentially more intensive maintenance.
Repairing the cracked wall required professional masonry work.
Fence
Can be decorative and enhance the appearance of a property.
The wrought iron fence added a classic touch to their garden.
Wall
A solid structure that encloses or separates areas, providing security and privacy.
The stone wall around the property offered both privacy and security.
Fence
A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.Alternatives to fencing include a ditch (sometimes filled with water, forming a moat).
Wall
A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative.
Fence
A structure serving as an enclosure, a barrier, or a boundary, usually made of posts or stakes joined together by boards, wire, or rails.
Wall
An upright structure of masonry, wood, plaster, or other building material serving to enclose, divide, or protect an area, especially a vertical construction forming an inner partition or exterior siding of a building.
Fence
An adjustable guide with a flat edge used on a table saw and positioned parallel to the plane of the cutting attachment in order to keep the board properly positioned for the cut to be made at the correct distance from the board's edge.
Wall
Often walls A continuous structure of masonry or other material forming a rampart and built for defensive purposes.
Fence
One who receives and sells stolen goods.
Wall
A structure of stonework, concrete, or other material built to retain a flow of water.
Fence
A place where stolen goods are received and sold.
Wall
Something resembling a wall in appearance, function, or construction, as the exterior surface of a body organ or part
The abdominal wall.
Fence
(Archaic) A means of defense; a protection.
Wall
Something resembling a wall in impenetrability or strength
A wall of silence.
A wall of fog.
Fence
To surround or enclose with a fence or other barrier.
Wall
An extreme or desperate condition or position, such as defeat or ruin
Driven to the wall by poverty.
Fence
To separate or keep out by means of a fence or other barrier
Fenced off one field from another.
Fenced out the deer from the garden.
Wall
(Sports) The vertical surface of an ocean wave in surfing.
Fence
To sell (stolen goods) to a fence.
Wall
To enclose, surround, or fortify with or as if with a wall
Wall up an old window.
Fence
To ward off; keep away.
Wall
To divide or separate with or as if with a wall. Often used with off
Wall off half a room.
Fence
To defend.
Wall
To confine or seal behind a wall; immure
"I determined to wall [the body] up in the cellar" (Edgar Allan Poe).
Fence
To practice the art or sport of fencing.
Wall
To block or close (an opening or passage, for example) with or as if with a wall.
Fence
To avoid giving direct answers; hedge.
Wall
A rampart of earth, stones etc. built up for defensive purposes.
Fence
To act as a conduit for stolen goods.
Wall
A structure built for defense surrounding a city, castle etc.
The town wall was surrounded by a moat.
Fence
A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc.
Wall
Each of the substantial structures acting either as the exterior of or divisions within a structure.
We're adding another wall in this room during the remodeling.
The wind blew against the walls of the tent.
Fence
(informal) Someone who hides or buys and sells stolen goods, a criminal middleman for transactions of stolen goods.
Wall
A point of desperation.
Fence
(by extension) The place whence such a middleman operates.
Wall
A point of defeat or extinction.
Fence
Skill in oral debate.
Wall
An impediment to free movement.
A wall of police officers met the protesters before they reached the capitol steps.
Fence
The art or practice of fencing.
Wall
The butterfly Lasiommata megera.
Fence
A guard or guide on machinery.
Wall
A barrier.
A seawall;
A firewall
Fence
(figuratively) A barrier, for example an emotional barrier.
Wall
A barrier to vision.
Fence
A memory barrier.
Wall
Something with the apparent solidity and dimensions of a building wall.
A wall of sound;
A wall of water
Fence
(transitive) To enclose, contain or separate by building fence.
Wall
A divisive or containing structure in an organ or cavity.
Fence
(transitive) To defend or guard.
Wall
(auction) A fictional bidder used to increase the price at an auction.
Fence
(transitive) To engage in the selling or buying of stolen goods.
Wall
A doctor who tries to admit as few patients as possible.
Fence
To engage in the sport of fencing.
Wall
(soccer) A line of defenders set up between an opposing free-kick taker and the goal.
Fence
To jump over a fence.
Wall
(roller derby) Two or more blockers skating together so as to impede the opposing team.
Fence
(intransitive) To conceal the truth by giving equivocal answers; to hedge; to be evasive.
Wall
(mining) Any of the surfaces of rock enclosing the lode.
Fence
That which fends off attack or danger; a defense; a protection; a cover; security; shield.
Let us be backed with God and with the seas,Which he hath given for fence impregnable.
A fence betwixt us and the victor's wrath.
Wall
(Internet) A personal notice board listing messages of interest to a particular user.
Fence
An inclosure about a field or other space, or about any object; especially, an inclosing structure of wood, iron, or other material, intended to prevent intrusion from without or straying from within.
Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold.
Wall
(role playing games) A character that has high defenses, thereby reducing the amount of damage taken from the opponent’s attacks.
Fence
A projection on the bolt, which passes through the tumbler gates in locking and unlocking.
Wall
The stage of biological aging where physical appearance and attractiveness start to deteriorate rapidly.
Fence
Self-defense by the use of the sword; the art and practice of fencing and sword play; hence, skill in debate and repartee. See Fencing.
Enjoy your dear wit, and gay rhetoric,That hath so well been taught her dazzing fence.
Of dauntless courage and consummate skill in fence.
Wall
(historical) The right or privilege of taking the side of the road near the wall when encountering another pedestrian.
Fence
A receiver of stolen goods, or a place where they are received.
Wall
(cycling) A very steep slope.
Fence
To fend off danger from; to give security to; to protect; to guard.
To fence my ear against thy sorceries.
Wall
A spring of water.
Fence
To inclose with a fence or other protection; to secure by an inclosure.
O thou wall! . . . dive in the earth,And fence not Athens.
A sheepcote fenced about with olive trees.
Wall
(nautical) A kind of knot often used at the end of a rope; a wall knot or wale.
Fence
To make a defense; to guard one's self of anything, as against an attack; to give protection or security, as by a fence.
Vice is the more stubborn as well as the more dangerous evil, and therefore, in the first place, to be fenced against.
Wall
To enclose with, or as if with, a wall or walls.
He walled the study with books.
Fence
To practice the art of attack and defense with the sword or with the foil, esp. with the smallsword, using the point only.
He will fence with his own shadow.
Wall
To boil.
Fence
Hence, to fight or dispute in the manner of fencers, that is, by thrusting, guarding, parrying, etc.
They fence and push, and, pushing, loudly roar;Their dewlaps and their sides are bat ed in gore.
As when a billow, blown against,Falls back, the voice with which I fencedA little ceased, but recommenced.
Wall
To well, as water; spring.
Fence
A barrier that serves to enclose an area
Wall
To make a wall knot on the end of (a rope).
Fence
A dealer in stolen property
Wall
A kind of knot often used at the end of a rope; a wall knot; a wale.
Fence
Enclose with a fence;
We fenced in our yard
Wall
A work or structure of stone, brick, or other materials, raised to some height, and intended for defense or security, solid and permanent inclosing fence, as around a field, a park, a town, etc., also, one of the upright inclosing parts of a building or a room.
The plaster of the wall of the King's palace.
Fence
Receive stolen goods
Wall
A defense; a rampart; a means of protection; in the plural, fortifications, in general; works for defense.
The waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
In such a night,Troilus, methinks, mounted the Troyan walls.
To rush undaunted to defend the walls.
Fence
Fight with fencing swords
Wall
An inclosing part of a receptacle or vessel; as, the walls of a steam-engine cylinder.
Fence
Surround with a wall in order to fortify
Wall
The side of a level or drift.
Fence
Have an argument about something
Wall
To inclose with a wall, or as with a wall.
The king of Thebes, Amphion,That with his singing walled that city.
Wall
To defend by walls, or as if by walls; to fortify.
The terror of his name that walls us in.
Wall
To close or fill with a wall, as a doorway.
Wall
An architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure;
The south wall had a small window
The walls were covered with pictures
Wall
An embankment built around a space for defensive purposes;
They stormed the ramparts of the city
They blew the trumpet and the walls came tumbling down
Wall
Anything that suggests a wall in structure or function or effect;
A wall of water
A wall of smoke
A wall of prejudice
Negotiations ran into a brick wall
Wall
A masonry fence (as around an estate or garden);
The wall followed the road
He ducked behind the garden wall and waited
Wall
(anatomy) a layer (a lining or membrane) that encloses a structure;
Stomach walls
Wall
A vertical (or almost vertical) smooth rock face (as of a cave or mountain)
Wall
A layer of material that encloses space;
The walls of the cylinder were perforated
The container's walls were blue
Wall
A difficult or awkward situation;
His back was to the wall
Competition was pushing them to the wall
Wall
Surround with a wall in order to fortify
Common Curiosities
Are walls considered part of a building's structure?
Yes, walls are integral to a building's construction, providing support for roofs and floors.
What materials are commonly used for fences?
Wood, wire, and metal are the most common materials for fences.
Which requires more maintenance, a fence or a wall?
Fences generally require more regular maintenance, though walls can be costly to repair.
Can fences be decorative?
Yes, fences can be highly decorative and enhance a property's appearance.
Can walls be used for decorative purposes?
Yes, walls can be designed with various finishes and materials for aesthetic appeal.
How do maintenance needs differ between fences and walls?
Fences may need regular upkeep like painting, while walls require less frequent, more intensive repairs.
What's the primary purpose of a fence?
To serve as a barrier or boundary, often for privacy, decoration, or to enclose an area.
Can a fence provide the same level of security as a wall?
Generally, walls offer higher security and privacy levels than fences.
Is it easier to install a fence or a wall?
Fences are typically easier and less time-consuming to install than walls.
Do walls offer better protection against elements than fences?
Yes, walls provide better protection against wind, noise, and visual intrusion.
Are there any structural benefits to using walls?
Walls provide structural support, essential for the stability and integrity of buildings.
Are walls always made of solid materials?
Walls are primarily constructed from solid materials like bricks, stones, or concrete.
Can both fences and walls be customized?
Yes, both can be tailored in design, though fences offer more flexibility in modifications.
What's the advantage of using a fence over a wall?
Fences offer more flexibility, easier installation, and can be modified to suit different needs.
Can a wall serve as a boundary?
Yes, walls can delineate boundaries and offer a high security and privacy level.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited 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.
