Trivia Time

Which of these is usually divided into aisles?

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aisle

American  

[ahyl] / aɪl /

noun

• aisles
  plural

1. 

   a walkway between or along blocks or rows of seats in a theater, classroom, airplane, etc..

   We were glad to get seats next to the aisle for that flight.

2. Architecture.

   1. a longitudinal division of an interior area, such as in a church, separated from the main area by an arcade or the like.

   2. any of the longitudinal divisions of a church or similarly shaped building.

3. the aisle, the divide or division between two political factions or parties.

   The Democrat reached across the aisle to form a bipartisan coalition.

   Her proposal was criticized by folks on both sides of the aisle.

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idioms

1. in the aisles. rolling.

2. walk / go down the aisle, to get married.

   Fewer couples are walking down the aisle these days.

aisle British  

/ aɪl /

noun

1. a passageway separating seating areas in a theatre, church, etc; gangway

2. a lateral division in a church flanking the nave or chancel

3. informal (of an audience) overcome with laughter

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• aisled
  adjective
• aisleless
  adjective
• unaisled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• aisles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aisle

First recorded in 1350–1400, and in 1880–85 aisle for def. 3; alteration (with ai from French aile “wing”) of earlier ile, isle (with s from isle ), from Middle French, from Latin āla “wing,” cognate with axle; see ala; sense of aisle def. 3 derives from the central aisle dividing Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and in other legislative chambers

Explanation

An aisle is a passageway, often between seating areas or shelves. Brides and grooms walk down an aisle at weddings, while you might head to the cookie aisle in the supermarket. An aisle is essentially a passageway between something. You have to walk down an aisle to reach your seat at a theater or concert hall, to get to your seat on a crowded airplane, or to reach the produce at your local supermarket. The ai in aisle is pronounced like a long i, so the word sounds like isle rather than ail.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aisle aisles

You pick aisle, middle or window and whether you only want to move to seats closer to the front.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The ads have received criticism on both sides of the aisle.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Over the past decade, food producers and retailers have tried to expand the quality and selection of the frozen aisle.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

“I have a reputation of working across the aisle during my time in the Legislature,” Ma said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Everybody we knew jostled down the aisle, except of course for the Tarbox clan and Aunt Fanny Hamline, who were naturally not there.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Waiters weave through packed aisles carrying foaming one-liter mugs, and strangers at long wooden tables quickly become friends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

California is now on track to be the first state to create a front-of-package label to help consumers identify foods in the grocery store aisles that are not ultraprocessed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

They brought in minimalist and retro aesthetics, and matte finishes, to craft packaging that read as upscale, making for clean, consistent visuals across aisles.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

They turn up at weddings and kids’ birthday parties, in freezer aisles and bakery cases, at country clubs and holiday breakfast tables.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

Mr. Allen fills the tank and I follow Russ inside, where there’s a worn wooden floor and a few aisles of food and camping supplies.

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick

Related Words

• avenue
• corridor
• hallway
• lane
• path