expressway

American  

[ik-spres-wey] / ɪkˈsprɛsˌweɪ /

noun

1. a highway especially planned for high-speed traffic, usually having few if any intersections, limited points of access or exit, and a divider between lanes for traffic moving in opposite directions.

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expressway British  

/ ɪkˈsprɛsˌweɪ /

noun

1. a motorway

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Etymology

Origin of expressway

First recorded in 1940–45; express + way ¹

Compare meaning

How does expressway compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• expressway vs. highway

Example Sentences

To visit by car, you’ve got to take the expressway south to an easy-to-miss exit and make two quick U-turns down to the riverbank.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Joshua, 36, was a passenger in a Lexus SUV that collided with a parked truck on the busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway, in south-west Nigeria, on Monday.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

Taking the Y4, an expressway still under construction, allows one to realise just "how much the city has eaten into the bush" that surrounds it, said Moustapha.

From Barron's • Oct. 21, 2025

As L.A. officials assess the merits of a water taxi system designed to reduce car traffic at the 2028 Olympics, the Games’ organizers have set their sights on another expressway.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025

I thought about the four of us the night of the accident, on that same expressway, and I noticed that the retainin’ wall was really only ’bout four feet high.

From "Tears of a Tiger" by Sharon M. Draper

Related Words

• freeway
• interstate
• superhighway
• turnpike