autobahn

American  

[aw-tuh-bahn, ou-taw-bahn] / ˈɔ təˌbɑn, ˈaʊ tɔˌbɑn /

noun

autobahns, plural autobahnen plural

1. (in Germany and Austria) a superhighway; expressway.

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autobahn British  

/ ˈɔːtəˌbɑːn /

noun

1. a motorway in German-speaking countries

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Etymology

Origin of autobahn

1935–40; < German, equivalent to Auto auto + Bahn road, way

Explanation

A high-speed German highway is known as an autobahn. While there's no legal speed limit on large sections of an autobahn, signs advise drivers to stay under 130 kilometers per hour (about 80 miles per hour). The specific national system of German highways, generally referred to as the Autobahn, is officially called the Bundesautobahn, or "federal motorway." The word isn't capitalized in English when it generally refers to German-designed highways, which also exist in parts of Poland, Austria, and some other European countries. Germany's Autobahn is famous for not having speed limits, but that's a bit of a misconception: Drivers do have to slow down on sections that run through cities and construction sites.

Example Sentences

Take the famed German autobahn and wider road networks.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Unlike elsewhere on the autobahn, the median strip on this 3.5-mile section isn’t grassy but solid tarmac.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

The FlixBus coach veered to the right on the busy A9 autobahn before falling on to its side.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2024

The youth movement is calling on the government to adhere to the climate targets enshrined in the Paris Agreement, arguing that massive investments in new autobahn projects should be stopped and redirected to low-emission alternatives.

From Reuters • Feb. 28, 2023

With their actions, carried out with increasing frequency as 2022 drew to a close, they have attracted enormous attention in a country where cars reign supreme, home to BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and the autobahn.

From New York Times • Jan. 2, 2023