pathway

American  

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

noun

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

• pathwayed
  adjective

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

One pathway works quickly through the nervous system, rapidly alerting the brain that essential amino acids are lacking.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

Still, the results give researchers a clearer target, especially the mGluR1 pathway, for developing future brain repair therapies.

From Science Daily • May 27, 2026

Riyadh has long said it would only agree to the pact if there were a clear pathway toward a Palestinian state.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

A patient at Wrexham's Maelor Hospital attended a dermatology one-stop clinic after being referred through an Urgent Suspected Cancer clinical pathway, and underwent cryotherapy treatment in which cancer cells undergo extreme cold treatment.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

He’s staring straight ahead at his bike, parked by the pathway.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

Related Words

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