highway
Americannoun
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a main road, especially one between towns or cities.
the highway between Los Angeles and Seattle.
- Synonyms:
- interstate, thruway, freeway, expressway
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any public road or waterway.
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any main or ordinary route, track, or course.
noun
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a public road that all may use
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law a main road, esp one that connects towns or cities
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a main route for any form of transport
-
a direct path or course
Etymology
Origin of highway
before 900; Middle English heyewei, Old English heiweg. See high, way 1
Compare meaning
How does highway compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A highway is a busy road with many lanes. Highways are usually the quickest route for driving between one city and another. Highways were originally built to connect cities and towns, and since they're wide and have high speed limits, they decreased the travel time. Highways are always considered public land, and they're usually maintained by the individual state. The Old English precursor was heahweg, "main street" or "main way." The word high has often been used to mean "main" or "major," especially when describing a street.
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.
The Westside district is bounded by the Santa Monica Bay on the west, the 405 Freeway on the east, Mulholland Drive to the north and Imperial Highway to the south.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Not every National Highway Traffic Safety Administration safety investigation results in a recall.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
That property, which is located on the Pacific Coast Highway, had previously been owned by A-list actor Pitt, who sold it to DeGeneres in 2012.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
Videos shared from the scene showed damaged vehicles and debris strewn across the Pan-American Highway in the southern Cauca region.
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
Next to the church, on the other side of Cross Highway was an empty field where the trainband practiced drilling.
From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
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.
