Synonyms

light-rail

American

[lahyt-reyl] / ˈlaɪtˌreɪl /

adjective

of or relating to a local rail rapid-transit system using large, single passenger cars, railroad-type signals, and, usually, private rights-of-way.

light rail British

noun

a transport system using small trains or trams, often serving parts of a large metropolitan area

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of light-rail

First recorded in 1975–80

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.

Our cellphone and internet plans are half-price, as is the light-rail fare we mentioned earlier and the admission price at cinemas.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 2, 2026

More entrances to the complex were created, including an underground portal to the 7th Street/Metro Center light-rail station.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2025

For several hours on Monday, the strike delayed some flight departures at Ben Gurion international airport, curtailed some nonemergency hospital services, and temporarily shut down light-rail systems in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2024

Years ago, the city handled firestorms over displacement by seeding a $50 million Rainier Valley Community Development Fund before light-rail construction, and offering merchants $650,000 during a Central Area road rebuild.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2023

Yet Redmond has avoided legal fights over light-rail and backlashes to growth that have vexed nearby towns.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023