avenue
Americannoun
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avenues
plural
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a wide street or main thoroughfare.
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a means of access or attainment.
avenues of escape; avenues to greater power.
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a way or means of entering into or approaching a place.
the various avenues to India.
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Chiefly British.
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a wide, usually tree-lined road, path, driveway, etc., through grounds to a country house or monumental building.
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a suburban, usually tree-lined residential street.
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noun
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a broad street, often lined with trees
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(capital as part of a street name) a road, esp in a built-up area
Shaftesbury Avenue
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a main approach road, as to a country house
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a way bordered by two rows of trees
an avenue of oaks
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a line of approach
explore every avenue
Synonym Usage
See street.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of avenue
First recorded in 1590–1600; from French, literally, “approach,” noun use of feminine past participle of avenir, from Latin advenīre “to come to.” See a- 5, venue
Explanation
An avenue is a street, especially a wide one lined with trees. An avenue is also any approach to doing something. For example, this web site might be a new avenue you have found for learning words. The word avenue comes from the French avenir, meaning "to come to, or arrive." The first meaning is simply a wide street. An avenue — or boulevard — is likely to be busy, unlike a quiet side street. The abbreviation is ave., as in Park Ave. Also, an avenue is a way to accomplish something. If you need money but can't get a loan, you'll have to find another avenue.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The water treaty provided a rare avenue of diplomatic engagement between the rival sides until India suspended its involvement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
By July, Trump officials identified a new avenue, this time through Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
It also said Cook was entitled to an explanation of the evidence, some avenue to respond and a deadline for doing so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Structure, rules, lines — all of these were tried and true and would work for me in this avenue of life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The capture of the dormice would prove an even more devious avenue to the conquest of Redwall, provided he played his cards right.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
So the president has since sought other legal avenues to pursue his flagship trade policy.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
We do so through many avenues: voting, protest, political party activism, lobbying, filing lawsuits, and writing op-eds, to name a few.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Soft closures, open only to residents, are in place at Shoreham Drive at Sunset Boulevard, Holloway Drive between Palm and Hancock avenues and San Vicente Boulevard at Cynthia Street.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The most important thing is to “run down all your other avenues first,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
Even from way up in the air, Magdalys could tell they were dressed up nice, promenading along the avenues in clusters and pairs, probably heading to social clubs and balls.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
