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motorway

American

[moh-ter-wey] / ˈmoʊ tərˌweɪ /

noun

British.

an expressway.

motorway British

/ ˈməʊtəˌweɪ /

noun

US names: superhighway. expressway. a main road for fast-moving traffic, having limited access, separate carriageways for vehicles travelling in opposite directions, and usually a total of four or six lanes

"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 motorway

First recorded in 1900–05; motor + way ¹

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.

On a recent ride around Hefei, the car drove itself through dense motorway traffic and around an underground parking lot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

The M4 relief road, also known as the black route, was a controversial project to build a new motorway across the Gwent levels south of Newport.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has promised to find a solution to congestion along the M4 motorway and said it should be "roads-based".

From BBC • May 28, 2026

The man caught up with her by a motorway bridge.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

I might be having coffee in a service station, staring at the motorway through the big windows, and my essay will pop into my head for no reason.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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