Meanings
nounChesterton's fence (uncountable)
- uncountablepublic policyThe principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood.
Origin
From a parable by G.K. Chesterton, suggesting that one should not remove a fence until one learns why it was erected in the first place.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Chesterton's fence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Chesterton's%20fence
MLA
“Chesterton's fence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Chesterton's%20fence. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Chesterton's fence,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Chesterton's%20fence.
Source: Chesterton's fence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.