Quick answer
A ceiling is the surface above your head in a room, or an upper limit on something, while sealing is the act of closing something securely. Memory hook: a ceiling is the top of the room, over your head, and sealing contains SEAL, as in sealing an envelope.
The core difference
A ceiling is a top surface or upper limit; sealing is closing something up.
- ceiling — the top of a room, or an upper limit: Water stains spread across the bedroom ceiling after the leak.
- ceiling as a limit — a cap on an amount: The government set a ceiling on rent increases.
- sealing — closing something securely: The sealing of the jars is the final step in the canning process.
How to tell them apart
Use ceiling for the overhead surface of a room, and for figurative limits such as a price ceiling or a career ceiling. Think of the space above you.
Use sealing when something is being closed or fastened shut, such as sealing a letter, a jar or a crack. It can also mean the hunting of seals. The mix-up shows up in idioms, where people write glass sealing when they mean glass ceiling. The phrase is glass ceiling.
Frequently asked questions
Is it glass ceiling or glass sealing?
It is glass ceiling. It describes an invisible upper limit on advancement, and ceiling is the word for an upper limit.
What does ceiling mean besides part of a room?
It can mean an upper limit placed on an amount, price or achievement, as in the government set a ceiling on rent increases.
What does sealing mean?
Sealing means closing something securely or applying a seal to it, as in the sealing of the jars when canning.
