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gridlock

 - 3 dictionary results

grid⋅lock

[grid-lok]
–noun
1. the stoppage of free vehicular movement in an urban area because key intersections are blocked by traffic.
2. the blocking of an intersection by vehicular traffic entering the intersection but unable to pass through it.
3. any situation in which nothing can move or proceed in any direction: a financial gridlock due to high interest rates.

Origin:
1975–80, Americanism; grid + lock 1


gridlocked, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To gridlock
grid·lock   (grĭd'lŏk')   
n.  
  1. A traffic jam in which no vehicular movement is possible, especially one caused by the blockage of key intersections within a grid of streets.

  2. A complete lack of movement or progress resulting in a backup or stagnation: "the political gridlock that prevented ... the President and Congress from moving expeditiously to cut the budget" (Robert D. Hormats).

grid'lock' v., grid'locked' adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Financial Dictionary

Gridlock

A government, business or institution's inability to function at a normal level due either to complex or conflicting procedures within the administrative framework or to impending change in the business.

Investopedia Commentary

In business as in traffic, little to nothing gets done when gridlock happens. This can be highly problematic and costly for a company or industry. For example, gridlock can occur if there is infighting within a company, with two groups competing to gain control of the company. This infighting can effectively create a situation in which business transactions cannot be completed until the problem is solved.

Related Links

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See also: Agency Problem, Black Knight, Hostile Takeover, People Pill, Proxy Fight, Suicide Pill

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