hindrance

• hinderance (archaic)
• hindraunce (obsolete)

From Middle English hinderance, hinderaunce, hindraunce, hynderaunce, hynderawnce, hynderawns, hyndrance; equivalent to hinder +‎ -ance.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɪndɹəns/

• Audio (Southern England)

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hindrance (plural hindrances)

1. Something which hinders: something that holds back or causes problems with something else.

   High-heeled shoes may be fashionable, but they can also be a hindrance to walking.

   • 1944 January and February, C. F. Cobon, “The County of London Plan”, in Railway Magazine, page 24:

     The L.C.C. [London County Council] considers viaducts in London objectionable and a hindrance to town planning and would like to abolish all the Southern Railway lines on viaducts in South London. [Nothing much happened, they still exist.]

2. The state or act of hindering something

   Your hindrance of this process will not be tolerated.

• See also Thesaurus:hindrance

• steric hindrance

• N-cadherin