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bottleneck

BOT-ul-nek /ˈbɒtlˌnɛk/

nounverbC1GMATIELTS

ProfessionalTechnical

A point of congestion in a system that occurs when workloads arrive too quickly for the production process to handle.

A bottleneck is specifically the slowest part of a process that determines the overall speed of the entire system.

The story behind the word. This is a literal metaphor. The neck of a bottle is the narrowest part; no matter how much liquid is in the bottle, it can only come out as fast as the neck allows. It began being used for traffic and business in the early 20th century.

Word relationships

chokepoint: Chokepoint is often used in military or geographical contexts, while bottleneck is common in business and traffic.
logjam: Logjam implies a complete standstill, whereas a bottleneck implies a significant slowdown.

catalyst: A catalyst speeds up a process, whereas a bottleneck slows it down.

Commonly confused with

blockage: A blockage stops flow entirely; a bottleneck allows flow but at a much slower rate.

Word family

bottlenecked (verb): Past tense of bottleneck; to have slowed down.

Collocations

eliminate a bottleneck
identify a bottleneck
production bottleneck
bottleneck effect

Example sentences

"The packaging department has become a bottleneck, slowing down the entire production line." Manufacturing
"The narrow bridge creates a daily bottleneck for commuters entering the city." Traffic Management

Memory hook

Think of a literal bottle turned upside down—the water can only pour out through the narrow neck. The neck of the bottle slows the flow.

When not to use

Avoid using it for a general 'problem'; it must specifically refer to a slowdown in flow.

Fun facts

In biology, a 'population bottleneck' occurs when a species' population is drastically reduced, limiting genetic diversity.
The 'Theory of Constraints' is a management philosophy dedicated almost entirely to identifying and fixing bottlenecks.