noun
-
a paved surface; pavement
-
material used for a pavement, such as paving stones, bricks, or asphalt
adjective
-
of or for a paved surface or pavement
-
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 poll was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons, who stepped down to allow Burnham an opportunity to contest the seat - paving the way for a potential leadership challenge.
From BBC • May 19, 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
Spirit grew quickly in the early 2000s, paving the way for other budget carriers such as Frontier to offer low-cost tickets with countless paid add-on options for seats and in-flight beverages.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
A relaunched Miami-Caracas flight after seven years of a standstill is paving the way for Venezuela to reclaim its status as a bustling aviation hub.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Between turns run long stretches of paving stones.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
