gateway

American  

[geyt-wey] / ˈgeɪtˌweɪ /

noun

gateways plural

1. an entrance or passage that may be closed by a gate.

2. a structure for enclosing such an opening or entrance.

3. any passage by or point at which a region may be entered.

   New York soon became the gateway to America.

4. Digital Technology.

   1. software or hardware that connects two disparate computer networks, as to enable the passage of information between a home or business network and the internet.

   2. software that facilitates digital communication of text messages over cellular telephone networks.

---

adjective

1. relating to or noting an ingested substance, habit, activity, etc., that is relatively free of bad effects but may lead to more dangerous or extreme choices.

   sweet gateway drinks that mask the taste of alcohol;

   gateway gadgets that seem simple enough, but tempt you to buy expensive accessories.

gateway British  

/ ˈɡeɪtˌweɪ /

noun

1. an entrance that may be closed by or as by a gate

2. a means of entry or access

   Mumbai, gateway to India

3. (modifier) allowing entry, access, or progress to a more extreme form

   gateway drug

   gateway drink

4. computing hardware and software that connect incompatible computer networks, allowing information to be passed from one to another

5. a software utility that enables text messages to be sent and received over digital cellular telephone networks

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gateways
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gateway

First recorded in 1700–10; gate ¹ + way ¹

Explanation

A gateway is an opening or entrance of a gate that swings open and shut. People also use the word gateway to describe the entryway into anything, like school could be your gateway to opportunity. Study hard. Gateways are similar to doorways, with the obvious difference being the gate that you open to pass through, rather than a door. You can also use this word in a figurative way, to mean "entrance," or "means of access." For example, you could say, "That huge bank building is the gateway to the city's financial district," or "Delhi is the gateway to South Asia."

Example Sentences

“Specificity is the gateway to universality,” Korn says from a corner table at Silver Lake’s Botanica.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

If one were to step back in time through some magical gateway and read those figures to a past HBO executive, that person probably would have died of a laughing fit.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026

Jean says Canada can no longer rely on attracting investors as a tariff-free gateway to the US.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

Policy chairman Chris Hayward describes it as a "huge boost of confidence" that "highlights its role" as a gateway to capital markets around the world.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026

The gateway to the industrial heartland of Southern China runs up through the wide, verdant swath of the Pearl River Delta.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell