noun
obstacle; impediment; hindrance
Formal or literary term for something that blocks progress or makes a task difficult. Often used in abstract contexts like social barriers or bureaucratic obstacles.
言語の障碍が国際交流を妨げている。
Language barriers hinder international exchange.
彼は多くの障碍を乗り越えて成功した。
He overcame many obstacles and succeeded.
From Middle Chinese 障礙 (obstacle, hindrance). The kanji 障 means 'to block' and 礙/碍 means 'to obstruct'. The spelling 障碍 is now standard in modern Japanese.