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

Though Thornton says on her website that the medbeds will be free, she and her impersonators also serve as a gateway to the many ways you can currently spend money on medbeds.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

"White Nights" has emerged as a gateway book for Dostoevsky's work, with some young readers progressing onto more challenging novels, such as "Crime and Punishment."

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

Dale describes swimming as a "gateway", saying that once you learn, "it opens a whole new world".

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Reading, she believed, was the gateway to dreaming, and dreaming, the first step in the path toward success.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Cesarone will oversee areas such as UPS’s global air network and gateways, surface transportation, building and engineering operations, automotive operations and sustainability functions, and report directly to Tomé, UPS said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

He has tried to fortify the land, closing off gateways, putting in concrete blocks or piles of logs, and digging rows of deep ditches to make it undrivable.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 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

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach share a space and compete against other global gateways, Hacegaba said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026

She snapped her fingers, and all of the gateways turned dark.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan