obstruction
[C/U] Both
pl: obstructionspast: nullpp: nulling: nullcomp: nullsup: null
This term carries a heavy sense of physical or systemic blockage. It suggests a barrier that is not merely an inconvenience but a complete stop to a desired flow, whether that flow is traffic, air in a lung, or the progress of a court case. While a hurdle is something you jump over and a barrier is something that keeps you out, an obstruction is something that gets in the way of a path that should be clear. It often implies an unwelcome or illegal interference when used in legal or official contexts.
Countable when referring to a specific physical object blocking a path, such as a boulder in the road. Uncountable when referring to the general act of hindering a process, such as the legal concept of obstruction of justice.