Meanings
nounbrass ceiling (plural brass ceilings)
plural brass ceilings
- idiomaticAn unwritten, uncodified barrier to promotion or progression for women in law enforcement or the military.
Origin
From brass (“indicating high-ranking officers”) + ceiling (“suggesting a barrier to upward advancement”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
brass ceiling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brass%20ceiling
MLA
“brass ceiling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brass%20ceiling. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brass ceiling,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brass%20ceiling.
Source: brass ceiling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.