Main entry: obstacle
Definition: an obstruction that stands in the way (and must be removed or surmounted or circumvented)
Main entry: obstacle, obstruction
Definition: something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
Usage: lack of imagination is an obstacle to one's advancement; the poverty of a district is an obstacle to good education; the filibuster was a major obstruction to the success of their plan