gated community: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal, journalistic, real estate, everyday (in relevant contexts).
Quick answer
What does “gated community” mean?
A residential area with restricted access, typically enclosed by walls or fences, and often featuring private security and shared amenities.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A residential area with restricted access, typically enclosed by walls or fences, and often featuring private security and shared amenities.
A housing development, often upscale, where entry is controlled via gates, barriers, or security personnel, creating a physically and socially separate environment from the surrounding area. The term can also be used metaphorically to describe any exclusive or insular group.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used identically in both varieties. The concept is more historically prevalent and discussed in American contexts, but the term is standard in British English.
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes wealth, security, and social separation. In some critical discourse, it may carry negative connotations of elitism and withdrawal from the public sphere.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English due to greater prevalence of such developments. Common in British English in property listings and urban planning discussions.
Grammar
How to Use “gated community” in a Sentence
[live/reside/be located] in a gated communitya gated community [with/for/of] + NOUN PHRASE (e.g., with a pool, for retirees)the [security/privacy/exclusivity] of a gated communityVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gated community” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The residents voted to have their estate gated for added security.
- The new development will be gated and monitored.
American English
- The neighbourhood association is gating the community next year.
- They gated off the private road leading to the houses.
adverb
British English
- This area is designed gated-community-style. (rare, non-standard)
American English
- They live gated-community-adjacent. (informal, humorous)
adjective
British English
- They offer gated-community living with concierge service.
- The gated-community lifestyle isn't for everyone.
American English
- She prefers gated-community security. (attributive use)
- It's a gated-community development.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in real estate marketing to denote premium, secure properties.
Academic
Used in sociology, urban studies, and human geography to discuss segregation, privatisation of public space, and social capital.
Everyday
Used when discussing where someone lives, house-hunting, or commenting on social trends.
Technical
Used in urban planning, architecture, and security industry documentation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “gated community”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “gated community”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gated community”
- Using 'gated' as a verb in this context (e.g., 'The community is gated' is correct, but 'They gated the community' refers to the act of installing gates). Treating it as a plural countable noun when referring to the concept (e.g., 'They are popular' vs. 'The gated community is popular').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. A condominium (condo) is a form of legal ownership (individual units within a collectively owned building). A gated community is a type of physical development. A condo complex can be gated, but so can a neighbourhood of single-family homes.
While often associated with luxury, there are gated communities for middle-income residents and retirees. The key feature is controlled access, not necessarily extreme wealth.
Yes. It can describe any exclusive, insular group, e.g., 'The academic department became a gated community of thought, resistant to new ideas.'
Critics argue they foster social inequality, reduce interaction between different social groups, and represent a privatisation of space that undermines the public realm.
A residential area with restricted access, typically enclosed by walls or fences, and often featuring private security and shared amenities.
Gated community is usually formal, journalistic, real estate, everyday (in relevant contexts). in register.
Gated community: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɡeɪtɪd kəˈmjuːnəti/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɡeɪtɪd kəˈmjuːnədi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[living] behind gates”
- “a gated mentality (metaphorical)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a community with a GATE at its entrance. The gate separates and protects, creating a 'gated community'.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMUNITY IS A FORTRESS / PRIVACY IS A WALLED GARDEN.
Practice
Quiz
What is a primary characteristic of a gated community?