noun

firewall

FEYE-uh-waw-uhl

noun

A fireproof barrier built to stop fire from spreading between parts of a building or vehicle.

"The garage was separated from the house by a firewall."

Software that monitors and controls network traffic to block unauthorized access.

"The company firewall blocked the suspicious connection automatically."

"Make sure your firewall is enabled before connecting to public Wi-Fi."

A strict separation kept between two parts of an organization to avoid conflicts of interest.

"There's meant to be a firewall between the newsroom and the advertising department."

How to Use Firewall

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA barrier that blocks something harmful from spreading — physical fire, network threats, or conflicts of interest.

Common pairings

set up a firewall behind a firewall ethical firewall

firewalled past tense, firewalls plural, firewalls singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The garage was separated from the house by a _____.

From fire and wall. The computing sense builds on the image of a physical barrier that blocks the spread of something dangerous.

stonewall