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• path
  path

  noun

  a way beaten, formed, or trodden by the feet of persons or animals.
• path-
  path-

  variant of patho- before a vowel.
• -path
  -path

  a combining form occurring in personal nouns corresponding to abstract nouns ending in -pathy, with the general sense “one practicing such a treatment” (osteopath ) or “one having such an ailment” (psychopath ).
• path.
  path.

  abbreviation

  pathological.

path

¹ American  

[path, pahth] / pæθ, pɑθ /

noun

paths plural

1. a way beaten, formed, or trodden by the feet of persons or animals.

   Synonyms:

   pathway, footpath

2. a narrow walk or way.

   a path through a garden; a bicycle path.

3. a route, course, or track along which something moves.

   the path of a hurricane.

4. a course of action, conduct, or procedure.

   the path of righteousness.

5. Mathematics. a continuous curve that connects two or more points.

6. Computers. the sequence of steps that a computer follows in carrying out a routine, as in storing and retrieving a file at a specific location.

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idioms

1. cross one's path, to encounter or meet unexpectedly.

   Tragedy crossed our path again.

path- ² American  

1. variant of patho- before a vowel.

   pathosis.

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-path ³ American  

1. a combining form occurring in personal nouns corresponding to abstract nouns ending in -pathy, with the general sense “one practicing such a treatment” (osteopath ) or “one having such an ailment” (psychopath ).

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path. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. pathological.

2. pathology.

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path ¹ British  

/ pɑːθ /

noun

1. a road or way, esp a narrow trodden track

2. a surfaced walk, as through a garden

3. the course or direction in which something moves

   the path of a whirlwind

4. a course of conduct

   the path of virtue

5. computing the directions for reaching a particular file or directory, as traced hierarchically through each of the parent directories usually from the root; the file or directoryand all parent directories are separated from one another in the path by slashes

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-path ² British  

combining form

1. denoting a person suffering from a specified disease or disorder

   neuropath

2. denoting a practitioner of a particular method of treatment

   osteopath

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path. ³ British  

/ pæθ /

abbreviation

1. pathological

2. pathology

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path More Idioms  

1. see beat a path to someone's door; cross someone's path; lead down the garden path; least resistance, path of; on the warpath.

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Usage

What is a basic definition of path?​ A path is a way formed by people or animals, a narrow track, or a route that something takes. Path has a few other senses as a noun. A path is an improvised trail that has been created by people or animals repeatedly following it. A path through the woods, for example, may simply be ground worn down to packed dirt. Paths like these are not planned but often result from many people or animals taking the same way through a place and moving any debris or objects, such as rocks, that may have once been in the way.

• Real-life examples: Hikers often navigate paths through forests and mountainous areas. It is wise to avoid paths that appear to have been made by dangerous animals, like wolves or bears.
• Used in a sentence: We followed a dirt path through the woods. 

The word path is also used to refer to narrow walkways or tracks created intentionally. These kinds of paths are usually created for a specific purpose, such as a garden path or a bicycle path.

• Used in a sentence: She walked up the cobblestone path to her uncle’s house. 

Path can also mean a route or course that something takes. This sense is used both literally to mean actual walking or moving and figuratively to mean a way of life or course of action.

• Real-life examples: Meteorologists track the paths of hurricanes, tornados, and thunderstorms. A runaway train is likely to destroy everything in its path. Students pursue many different career paths after finishing their studies.
• Used in a sentence: I made sure to be far away from the path of the angry bull. 

What does -path mean? The combining form -path is used like a suffix to mean either “one administering a treatment” or "one suffering from such an ailment." It is the personal noun form of words ending in -pathy, which means variously "suffering," "disease," and "treatment of disease." It is often used in medical terms, especially in pathology. The form -path ultimately comes from Greek pátheia, meaning “suffering” or “feeling.” It shares an origin with the English word pathos. You can learn more about the meaning of pathos at our entry for the word. What are variants of -path?While -path doesn’t have any immediate variants, it is closely related to three other combining forms, -pathia, -pathic, and -pathy. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for all three forms.

Related Words

Path, lane, trail are passages or routes not as wide as a way or road. A path is a way for passing on foot; a track, beaten by feet, not specially constructed, is often along the side of a road: a path through a field. A lane is a narrow road or track, generally between fields, often enclosed with fences or trees; sometimes it is an alley or narrow road between buildings in towns: a lane leading to a farmhouse; Drury Lane. A trail is a rough way made or worn through woods, or across mountains, prairies, or other untraveled regions: an Indian trail.

Other Word Forms

• multipath
  noun
• outpath
  noun
• pathless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of path

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English pæth; cognate with German Pfad

Explanation

A path is a route that's meant for walking. You might follow a path up a mountain as you hike, or follow a winding path throughout your life. Paths are often created by people's feet wearing a trail into the ground or through the snow, for example. You can also create a path by laying flat stones in line through a yard or around a garden. Another kind of path is the route something takes as it moves, like a speedboat's path in the water or, figuratively, the path your life takes as you grow older.

Example Sentences

But outside of earnings season, investors must contend with worries about the Iran conflict, higher oil prices and the risk that renewed inflation pressures could complicate the Federal Reserve’s path on interest rates.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

Alary is back at work, has apologized to Macgregor and has thanked Phillips profusely for helping set him on the right path.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Investors are dumping government bonds from the U.S. to Japan to the U.K., sending yields to multiyear highs as war-driven inflation forces central banks to reconsider the path of interest rates.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

But when he joined the Reds in 2017, he was all too aware of the legacy of some great Scots who had trodden the same path before him.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

But no one was on the path this morning.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Related Words

• aisle
• avenue
• direction
• highway
• lane
• line
• passage
• pathway
• procedure
• rail
• road
• roadway
• route
• street
• track
• trail
• walkway