highway
Americannoun
-
a main road, especially one between towns or cities.
the highway between Los Angeles and Seattle.
- Synonyms:
- interstate, thruway, freeway, expressway
-
any public road or waterway.
-
any main or ordinary route, track, or course.
noun
-
a public road that all may use
-
law a main road, esp one that connects towns or cities
-
a main route for any form of transport
-
a direct path or course
Etymology
Origin of highway
before 900; Middle English heyewei, Old English heiweg. See high, way 1
Compare meaning
How does highway compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A highway is a busy road with many lanes. Highways are usually the quickest route for driving between one city and another. Highways were originally built to connect cities and towns, and since they're wide and have high speed limits, they decreased the travel time. Highways are always considered public land, and they're usually maintained by the individual state. The Old English precursor was heahweg, "main street" or "main way." The word high has often been used to mean "main" or "major," especially when describing a street.
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.
“I saw they put up new signs this year that estimate wait times along the highway into the park, so it sounds like they’re prepared for an interesting summer,” Wakefield said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
In some previous years, the roads around the festival have become a highway to hell, with traffic management plans drawn up to keep festival-goers and Leicestershire locals on the move.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Social media videos show police breaking up Monday's protest and detaining a group of demonstrators who were filmed sitting in the middle of a two-lane highway.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Drivers can once again embark on the state’s most famous road trip, covering the 100 miles between Cambria to the south and Carmel to the north without leaving the two-lane coastal highway.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
In the three years it took me to rebuild the boat, I seemed almost to live on that highway.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
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.
