avenue

American  

[av-uh-nyoo, -noo] / ˈæv əˌnyu, -ˌnu /

noun

1. a wide street or main thoroughfare.

2. a means of access or attainment.

   avenues of escape; avenues to greater power.

3. a way or means of entering into or approaching a place.

   the various avenues to India.

4. Chiefly British.

   1. a wide, usually tree-lined road, path, driveway, etc., through grounds to a country house or monumental building.

   2. a suburban, usually tree-lined residential street.

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avenue British  

/ ˈævɪˌnjuː /

noun

1. 1. a broad street, often lined with trees

   2. (capital as part of a street name) a road, esp in a built-up area

      Shaftesbury Avenue

2. a main approach road, as to a country house

3. a way bordered by two rows of trees

   an avenue of oaks

4. a line of approach

   explore every avenue

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Related Words

See street.

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

In a statement, an Omniplex spokesperson said audio description was currently available at four locations, including The Avenue Cinema in Belfast, as well as sites in Lisburn, Birmingham and Wigan.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Vornado, Citadel and the wealthy Rudin family have a joint venture to build a 62-story, 1.5 million square-foot office tower at 350 Park Avenue, a prime Midtown location.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Sunday when a sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop of a gray Ford pickup truck for vehicle code violations near the intersection of 104th Street and Hawthorne Avenue in Lennox.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Geoffroy van Raemdonck took the helm of the troubled company, which owns Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, in January after it sought court protection from creditors.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Ms. Post blew the whistle, and they all walked across the street and to the left, heading down Portal Avenue.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• boulevard
• channel
• entrance
• outlet
• pathway
• promenade
• road
• route
• thoroughfare