gatekeep

To gatekeep means to keep something to yourself, or to decide who “deserves” access to it. Online, it usually means refusing to share a good secret, like where you bought your jacket, or acting like a newcomer isn’t a “real” fan.

Two kinds of gatekeeping

The playful kind: someone won’t tell you their favourite restaurant because they don’t want it to get crowded. “Gatekeeping that café” is half joke, half confession.

The critical kind: someone polices a hobby or community, quizzing new fans, mocking beginners or insisting you can’t like a band unless you knew them “before they were famous.” Merriam-Webster’s definition captures this side: controlling access to information or resources to hold power.

Examples

• “Stop gatekeeping and tell me where you got those earrings.”
• “I’m gatekeeping this beach, sorry.”
• “Gatekeeping who’s a ‘real gamer’ is so tired.”
• “She gatekept that recipe for years.”

“Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss”

In January 2021, the phrase “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss” went viral as a parody of motivational slogans like “Live, Laugh, Love.” It mocks the idea of selfish, manipulative behaviour dressed up as empowerment. See gaslight.

Where gatekeep comes from

“Gatekeep” is a back-formation from “gatekeeper,” and Merriam-Webster dates it to 1965. Know Your Meme found Urban Dictionary definitions of the online sense from 2012, and a subreddit called r/gatekeeping, dedicated to mocking it, was created in 2016.

Related terms

• Gaslight: to manipulate someone into doubting reality.
• Receipts: proof.
• Stan: an extremely devoted fan.
• Chronically online: too immersed in internet culture.

See more in our Gen Z slang dictionary.