driveway
Americannoun
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driveways
plural
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a road, especially a private one, leading from a street or other thoroughfare to a building, house, garage, etc.
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any road for driving on.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of driveway
Explanation
A driveway is a small private road in front of a house or garage. If there's no parking allowed on your street, you can tell visiting friends to park their cars in your driveway. Some driveways are only a few feet long, while others stretch for many yards to houses set far back from the public road. Homeowners are responsible for their driveways, including plowing or shoveling the snow that falls in the driveway during the winter months. You can also call your driveway a drive, and both words emerged in the late 19th century.
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.
See Examples For:
The atomic bomb in the crate that a helicopter carefully deposits in Carol’s driveway in the last scene?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
He saw me pull out of my driveway once and flagged me down to tell me I was headed for a blowout soon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Down a long gated driveway on a secluded and beautifully landscaped flag lot, this exceptional Bridgehampton South residence offers sophisticated luxury living in one of the Hamptons’ most coveted locations,” it states.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
"Where we are has allowed us to get on the property ladder as the house with a driveway and garage is more affordable here than in another part of town," added Aimee.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
She held one shoe in her hand and began calling from the end of the curved driveway that led to the front of the house.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
"We understand this affects local residents, with a hose laid across pavements and driveways, and apologise for the frustration this causes," it said.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Heated driveways cost anywhere from $4,800 and $15,000 to install, and an additional $50 to $300 per month in utility bills to operate, according to HeatTrak, a company that manufactures heated snow- and ice-melting mats.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
Most of the pictures Cooley has taken so far have been from a distance, though he has set up his equipment near the end of people’s driveways to get a good photo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Packed with cookies, brownies, old-school sprinkle cakes or lemon drizzle, they are usually found in front gardens, on driveways or by the roadside.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
The houses they passed had smooth green lawns and long white stone driveways.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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.
