passageway

American  

[pas-ij-wey] / ˈpæs ɪdʒˌweɪ /

noun

passageways plural

1. a way for passing into, through, or out of something, as within a building or between buildings; a corridor, hall, alley, catwalk, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   walk, path, access, passage

2. a corridor on a ship.

---

passageway British  

/ ˈpæsɪdʒˌweɪ /

noun

1. a way, esp one in or between buildings; passage

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• passageways
  plural

Etymology

Origin of passageway

First recorded in 1640–50; passage ¹ + way ¹

Explanation

A passageway is a hall or a walkway that connects one area to another. You might pass from a small museum through a passageway to an outdoor sculpture garden, for example. Passageways typically connect rooms or buildings to each other, and they're generally walled and slightly narrow. A passageway in a hotel might lead from an elevator to your fancy suite, and a castle might be full of stone passageways leading from room to room, some of them hidden in the walls. This noun is American in origin, from passage and its French root passer, "to go by" and way, "road or path."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

passageway passageways

Prabowo said on Monday that Indonesia and Singapore "have an interest in keeping the Strait of Malacca as a free passageway".

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

Oil-producing Middle Eastern countries are exploring overland alternatives to the passageway, such as new pipelines or pipeline expansions, and energy-importing countries have sought alternatives to crude or alternatives to their supplies of crude.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

The passageway is accessed using a “sophisticated hydraulic lift” and extends from Otay Mesa, underneath the U.S.-Mexico border and into Tijuana.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

Reports say the deal could allow "unrestricted" passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and that Iran would have 30 days to remove mines from the narrow shipping passageway.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

At the very end of the passageway was a door, slightly ajar with light spilling out.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

There are romantic ruins, secret passageways and cryptic clues to hidden treasure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

The move could bring some barrels back into circulation relatively quickly as one of the world’s major maritime passageways, the Strait of Hormuz, remains effectively shut.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026

Code 22-1307, which prohibits individuals from crowding or obstructing streets, sidewalks, building entrances, or other passageways, and D.C.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2025

This wealthy Monterey County enclave strictly regulates architecture to maintain the much-vaunted “village character” of a place filled with cottages, courtyards and secret passageways.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2025

Back inside the dark passageways, he checked the other clocks in the station, all of which were made of brass and could be maintained from inside the walls.

From "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick

Related Words

• hallway
• passage
• walkway