driveway
Americannoun
-
a road, especially a private one, leading from a street or other thoroughfare to a building, house, garage, etc.
-
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:
For a lot of office workers—OK, mostly middle-aged male office workers—a manicured lawn is as much a status symbol as a luxury car in the driveway, writes Callum Borchers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
A significant police presence remains at the house, with a BBC correspondent describing several police cars on the road outside and a police van on the driveway.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
The Post however reported a project cost of at least double -- $13 million -- which also includes renovations of the South Portico and adjacent driveway.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
Set back from the main road behind a gated driveway, the dwelling sits on close to 10 acres, ensuring that the A-list duo was able to enjoy ample privacy whenever they were at home.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 4, 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
Many owners find that aging features, even cracked driveways, can cause insurers to raise premiums or drop coverage entirely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
Harris enthusiastically greeted voters who answered their doors, even running up hilly driveways to shake their hands and handing out his personal phone number.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
“They were meeting on their driveways, literally on top of ash and debris, bringing folding chairs.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026
Every week, they worked backward from that target — spending time with people in their living rooms, kitchens and driveways.
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2026
His block is nicer, too, with lots of big houses and even bigger driveways for the nicer cars.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
