gray ceiling

noun

An informal (and often unacknowledged) barrier to promotion or advancement for younger people, as a result of older people continuing to work instead of retiring.

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Meanings

noun
  1. An informal (and often unacknowledged) barrier to promotion or advancement for younger people, as a result of older people continuing to work instead of retiring.
Cite this entry
APA

gray ceiling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gray%20ceiling

MLA

“gray ceiling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gray%20ceiling. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gray ceiling,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gray%20ceiling.

Source: gray ceiling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.