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Cerca vs. vedação

Word practice demo
While both cerca and vedação translate to "fence", their usage depends heavily on whether you are in Brazil or Portugal. In Brazil, cerca is the universal term for any type of non-wall barrier. In Portugal, vedação is the standard term for residential or industrial fences (especially wire or metal), while cerca is often reserved for more rustic, agricultural, or historical contexts.

Cerca

A2
This is the primary word for "fence" in Brazilian Portuguese, applicable to all materials (wood, wire, electric). In European Portuguese (Portugal), cerca usually implies a rustic enclosure, such as stone walls around old estates or wooden fences on farms.
O fazendeiro consertou a cerca de madeira ontem.
(The farmer fixed the wooden fence yesterday.)
Eles instalaram uma cerca elétrica para maior segurança.
(They installed an electric fence for greater security.)
Vamos pintar a cerca do jardim de branco.
(Let's paint the garden fence white.)
As vacas derrubaram a cerca e fugiram para a estrada.
(The cows knocked down the fence and escaped to the road.)

Vedação

B2
In Portugal, this is the most common word for a standard fence used to close off a property, particularly if made of chain-link, wire mesh, or metal panels. In Brazil, vedação almost exclusively means "sealing" or "waterproofing" (like a rubber seal) and is not used to describe a physical fence.
A vedação de arame impede a entrada de animais no quintal.
(The wire fence prevents animals from entering the backyard.)
Precisamos comprar rede nova para reparar a vedação.
(We need to buy new mesh to repair the fence.)
O ladrão cortou a vedação para entrar na fábrica.
(The thief cut the fence to enter the factory.)
A bola de futebol ficou presa no topo da vedação.
(The soccer ball got stuck on top of the fence.)

Summary

Use cerca if you are speaking Brazilian Portuguese, as it covers everything from picket fences to barbed wire. If you are in Portugal, use vedação for modern property fences (wire/metal) and keep cerca for rustic farm enclosures or historic stone boundaries.