passageway

American  

[pas-ij-wey] / ˈpæs ɪdʒˌweɪ /

noun

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.

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passageway British  

/ ˈpæsɪdʒˌweɪ /

noun

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

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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

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

The president’s limousine drives through the passageway into a private entrance, people who know the facility said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

The assumed resumption in the flow of maritime traffic through the passageway was good news for the U.S. stock market and helped ease concerns over a global shortage of oil.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

The girl takes a sharp turn behind one of the tents, down a passageway Bailey had not even noticed, and there is the fence again, and the field outside.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• hallway
• passage
• walkway