A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. Generally distinguished from a wall by the solidity of construction - a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage (though the definitions do overlap somewhat).

There are fences constructed for several different purposes:

Some of the technologies developed for fencing include

Alternatives for a fence are a hedge or a ditch (with or occasionally without water).


A fence is a person who specializes in the purchase and sale of stolen property from thieves.


In statistics, the word fence refers to a value beyond which an observation is considered an outlier.