wall

The word “wall” means a solid upright structure that encloses, divides, or protects an area. In plain terms, a solid barrier, whether physical (a building wall) or figurative (an obstacle).

“Wall” is pronounced wawl (/wɔːl/ in IPA).

Here is “wall” used in a sentence: “They painted the living room wall a pale blue.”

Depending on how it is used, “wall” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “wall” comes from Latin. From Old English weall, borrowed from Latin vallum, meaning a rampart or fortification.

“Wall” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Wall” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a solid upright structure that encloses, divides, or protects an area.

Both mark or divide space, but a wall is a solid, continuous structure built from materials like brick, stone, or concrete. A fence is lighter, usually made of posts with panels, wire, or railings, and often lets you see through it. Walls tend to be sturdier and more private.

In buildings, a load-bearing wall carries weight from above, while a partition wall simply divides rooms. Outdoors, a boundary wall marks a property line and a retaining wall holds back earth or water. Exterior walls form the shell of a structure; interior walls organise the space inside.

A wall is one specific kind of barrier: a solid, upright, usually permanent structure. 'Barrier' is the broader word for anything that blocks or separates, including gates, fences, hedges, or even abstract obstacles. Every wall is a barrier, but many barriers are not walls.