paywall C1 Topic:Abstract Ideas US /ˈpeɪ.wɔl/ UK /ˈpeɪ.wɔːl/ See IPA manual Freq #260693 Meanings 1 noun A system that blocks access to online content unless you pay for it I couldn't read the full article because it was behind a paywall. 2 verb To block access to content unless people pay for it The newspaper decided to paywall its most popular articles. Verb forms Verb forms are not available for this word yet. Thesaurus Word family Derived forms paywalled Etymology AI details From pay + wall, by analogy with firewall. Topics Abstract Ideas External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # paywall **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun, verb **IPA (US):** /ˈpeɪ.wɔl/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈpeɪ.wɔːl/ **Frequency rank:** 260693 ## Meanings 1. A system that blocks access to online content unless you pay for it 2. To block access to content unless people pay for it ## Examples - I couldn't read the full article because it was behind a paywall. - The newspaper decided to paywall its most popular articles. ## Derived Forms - paywalled ## Etymology From pay + wall, by analogy with firewall. ## AI Etymology Paywall is from pay + wall, by analogy with firewall. In present-day use, it can mean a system that blocks access to online content unless you pay for it, or to block access to content unless people pay for it. Derived formations include paywalled. ## Topics - Abstract Ideas markdown