noun
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US and Canadian word: sidewalk. a hard-surfaced path for pedestrians alongside and a little higher than a road
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a paved surface, esp one that is a thoroughfare
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the material used in paving
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civil engineering the hard layered structure that forms a road carriageway, airfield runway, vehicle park, or other paved areas
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geology a level area of exposed rock resembling a paved road See limestone pavement
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pavement
1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Latin pavīmentum. See pave, -ment
Explanation
Pavement is a hard surface that's covered in concrete or asphalt, like a road or a driveway. If you wipe out on your bike and land on the pavement, you may end up with skinned knees or scraped elbows. When pavement is newly surfaced or patched, it's smooth and even — but after a long, cold winter pavement is often full of potholes and cracks. In the US, pavement most often refers to a road or street, but it can also mean any paved surface, like a sidewalk or paved area in a park. The word has a Latin root, pavimentum, "level surface that's been beaten firm."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In London, 27 of the capital's 33 local authorities said in their FOI responses that they allowed exceptions to the pavement parking ban through bays or signage in some locations.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
A police sign hangs above the entrance, while the pavement still bears a memorial stone with the inscription: "For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism. Millions of Dead Warn."
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Sometimes, especially on older or tightly built streets, they have to allow some pavement parking – for example to ensure emergency vehicles, refuse trucks, and buses can safely pass," they said.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
From paw prints in Mesopotamian pavement to hunting hounds in Renaissance sculpture, dogs have long featured in art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
A dog barks somewhere, and a bicyclist goes by, small tires crunching on pavement.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
The analysis identified styrene and butadiene from standard PMA, polyethylene from recycled plastic and fishing net pavements, and isoprene and butadiene rubber from vehicle tires.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
Plenty of ideas are already in the air about how to spend the windfall: new pavements, renovating the school or offering home-help services.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
"About one third of my clients want to sit on the pavements, especially during cooler days, mornings and evenings," he said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Low-cost and lightweight, they are designed for "non-load-bearing use, such as pavements, partitions and garden beds," Farah told the BBC World Service's Newsday.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Its pavements are busy with mothers just like me, with dogs on leads and toddlers on scooters.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
