highway
Americannoun
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a main road, especially one between towns or cities.
the highway between Los Angeles and Seattle.
- Synonyms:
- interstate, thruway, freeway, expressway
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any public road or waterway.
-
any main or ordinary route, track, or course.
noun
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a public road that all may use
-
law a main road, esp one that connects towns or cities
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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.
There it found a plot with power lines that was near a highway.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
But she allowed the ID law to stand, saying it had only incidental impact on the federal government, similar to speed limits on the highway.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Fewer people would drive on the highway if we didn’t have cops to enforce the driving laws, if we didn’t have traffic lights and speed limits.
From Barron's • Apr. 18, 2026
On Wednesday, Israeli strikes hit two vehicles on the coastal highway south of Beirut, near the towns of Saadiyat and Jiyeh and outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
The highway wasn’t the problem—it was what was just across Okeechobee Road that scared Natalie.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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.
