What it means
To gatekeep is to hoard access to something, a hobby, a band, a secret spot, and gruffly decide who counts as a real fan and who gets shut out. It guards the gate instead of sharing the fun.
Usage examples
"Just share the playlist, why do you have to gatekeep every good band?"
"He gatekeeps that hiking trail like the mountain belongs to him."
"She was proper gatekeeping the little café, acting like only locals were allowed to rate the coffee."
"Stop gatekeeping your skincare routine, babe, it's just moisturiser not state secrets."
Voice comments
No one has left their voice yet. Break the ice.
Where it comes from
It comes straight from gatekeeper, the person who controls who gets in. That noun is old, but gatekeep really took off online in the 2010s when people started using it for fans, scenes, tastes, and niche knowledge being guarded from newbies or outsiders.
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.