noun
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a paved surface; pavement
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material used for a pavement, such as paving stones, bricks, or asphalt
adjective
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of or for a paved surface or pavement
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preparatory, facilitating, enabling
paving legislation
Etymology
Origin of paving
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at pave, -ing 1
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.
The French parliament last week passed a law paving the way for Macron to return looted African cultural artefacts.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
“As it progressed, the theme kind of changed into carrying the torch and paving the way for a better future for our youth and for our communities,” Mejia said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
"I believe our results help demonstrate the power of Floquet engineering for realizing quantum systems with highly-tunable properties, paving the way for further research into periodically driven quantum matter and the development of its applications."
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
Tisza, led by former Fidesz insider Péter Magyar, won more than a two-thirds majority in the 199-seat parliament, paving the way for a reset of both Hungary's domestic policies and its global relationships.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
As he did, he saw some mushrooms growing up from a cracked paving tile.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
