Meanings
- derogatoryInternet censorship by the government of the People's Republic of China.
The Great Firewall of China is a case of corporate collaboration in censorship.
2007, Dinah PoKempner, “A Shrinking Realm: Freedom of Expression Since 9/11”, in Human Rights Watch World Report 2007, →ISBN, page 763 more examples
Behind this hypothetical Great Firewall of China, most users would be allowed to exchange information with foreign sites if they were on the approved list
1997, A. Michael Froomkin, “Jurisdiction in Cyberspace: The Role of Intermediaries”, in Borders in Cyberspace: Information Policy and the Global Information Infrastructure, →OCLC, page 146The "Great Firewall of China" is failing, largely due to the increased volume of Internet traffic in China.
2001, Greg Walton, China's Golden Shield: Corporations and the Development of Surveillance Technology in the People's Republic of China, →OCLC, page 5The targets suggest the attackers are sympathetic to the vast censorship apparatus known as the Great Firewall of China.
2015 March 31, Dan Goodin, “Massive denial-of-service attack on GitHub tied to Chinese government”, in Ars Technica, retrieved 01 Apr 2015Synonyms: GFW, Great Firewall, Golden Shield
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounInternet censorship by the government of the People's Republic of China.
Origin
Blend of Great Wall of China + firewall, popularized in an issue of Wired in 1997.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Spanish Gran Cortafuego de China, Groso Cortafuegos de China
- Gran Cortafuego de ChinaTranslations
- Groso Cortafuegos de ChinaTranslations
- Grosso Firewall de ChinaTranslations
Cite this entry
Great Firewall of China. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Firewall%20of%20China
“Great Firewall of China.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Firewall%20of%20China. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Great Firewall of China,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Firewall%20of%20China.
Source: Great Firewall of China on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.