pathway

American  

[path-wey, pahth-] / ˈpæθˌweɪ, ˈpɑθ- /

noun

pathways plural

1. a path, course, route, or way.

2. Biochemistry. a sequence of reactions, usually controlled and catalyzed by enzymes, by which one organic substance is converted to another.

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pathway British  

/ ˈpɑːθˌweɪ /

noun

1. another word for path path

2. a route to or way of access to; way of reaching or achieving something

3. courses taken by a student to gain entry to a higher course or towards a final qualification

4. biochem a chain of reactions associated with a particular metabolic process

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pathway Scientific  

/ păth′wā′ /

1. A chain of nerve fibers along which impulses normally travel.

2. A sequence of enzymatic or other reactions by which one biological material is converted to another.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pathwayed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pathways
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pathway

First recorded in 1530–40; path + way ¹

Explanation

A pathway is a trail or other walkway. Hikers often follow a well-worn pathway as they walk through the woods. Use the noun pathway to mean a walk, path, or trail — any marked way that's meant or used for walking. The pathway you follow on your way to school might lead you over a stream and through a field, or it might meander down a narrow city alley. Pathway is essentially a longer, redundant way to say "path," and in fact it comes from path and its Old English root pæþ, "path or track," which has a Germanic origin.

Example Sentences

“AB 46 preserves diversion as an important pathway to care while ensuring judges have a clearer and more workable standard when serious public safety concerns are present,” Nguyen said in a statement last month.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

The deal includes 4E’s pipeline of oral MNK inhibitors, an emerging class of non-opioid painkillers that target a biological pathway within a patient’s nerve endings to stop the generation of pain signals.

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

The findings suggest that blocking anthocyanin production redirected the plant's biochemical activity toward the buildup of these other compounds within the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway.

From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026

"If anything, it should be showing that there's millions of Myles Smiths who exist, and hopefully now there's more of a ladder and a pathway for that to be seen."

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

It was a map of the Mountain, with a pathway marked in red.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Related Words

• artery
• asphalt
• avenue
• boulevard
• byway
• expressway
• freeway
• highway
• lane
• parking lot
• path
• pavement
• route
• street
• subway
• superhighway
• terrace
• thoroughfare
• turnpike
• viaduct