gateway

American  

[geyt-wey] / ˈgeɪtˌweɪ /

noun

• gateways
  plural

1. an entrance or passage that may be closed by a gate.

2. a structure for enclosing such an opening or entrance.

3. any passage by or point at which a region may be entered.

   New York soon became the gateway to America.

4. Digital Technology.

   1. software or hardware that connects two disparate computer networks, as to enable the passage of information between a home or business network and the internet.

   2. software that facilitates digital communication of text messages over cellular telephone networks.

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adjective

1. relating to or noting an ingested substance, habit, activity, etc., that is relatively free of bad effects but may lead to more dangerous or extreme choices.

   sweet gateway drinks that mask the taste of alcohol;

   gateway gadgets that seem simple enough, but tempt you to buy expensive accessories.

gateway British  

/ ˈɡeɪtˌweɪ /

noun

1. an entrance that may be closed by or as by a gate

2. a means of entry or access

   Mumbai, gateway to India

3. (modifier) allowing entry, access, or progress to a more extreme form

   gateway drug

   gateway drink

4. computing hardware and software that connect incompatible computer networks, allowing information to be passed from one to another

5. a software utility that enables text messages to be sent and received over digital cellular telephone networks

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gateways
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gateway

First recorded in 1700–10; gate ¹ + way ¹

Explanation

A gateway is an opening or entrance of a gate that swings open and shut. People also use the word gateway to describe the entryway into anything, like school could be your gateway to opportunity. Study hard. Gateways are similar to doorways, with the obvious difference being the gate that you open to pass through, rather than a door. You can also use this word in a figurative way, to mean "entrance," or "means of access." For example, you could say, "That huge bank building is the gateway to the city's financial district," or "Delhi is the gateway to South Asia."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gateway gateways

The town is the main gateway for trade between Myanmar and Thailand, and has always had a large, though fluctuating Burmese population.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

The project creates a new southern gateway to Redwoods National and State Parks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

In addition to orchestrating different AI models, the AI Control Tower is now increasingly serving as a gateway to vet nonhuman identities.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

“My Neighbor Totoro” is a gateway into a pastoral ideal that still exists in living memory, reviving parts of our imagination that maturity has stifled into dormancy.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

Once we reached the building, I tugged him to the side, away from the gateway with its concentric arches and ornate repousse facade.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Adding to the complexity, companies now need to protect the data networks that serve as gateways to critical infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

Nearly every system, from banking apps to payment gateways, relies on encryption to function.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

TRPV4 is part of a family of ion channels that function like tiny molecular gateways in sensory nerve cells.

From Science Daily ● May 10, 2026

Ghana, one of the main gateways for the trade, has long been a leading advocate for reparations.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026

The three gateways she’d come from—north, east, and west—began to swirl with Mist.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan