sidewalk

American  

[sahyd-wawk] / ˈsaɪdˌwɔk /

noun

sidewalks plural

1. a walk, especially a paved one, at the side of a street or road.

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sidewalk British  

/ ˈsaɪdˌwɔːk /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): pavement.  a hard-surfaced path for pedestrians alongside and a little higher than a road

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sidewalks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sidewalk

First recorded in 1660–70; side ¹ + walk

Explanation

A sidewalk is a paved path for walking, often alongside a road. If your neighborhood has sidewalks, it's easier and safer to take a little jog. While English speakers in other parts of the world might use words like footpath or pavement instead, North Americans typically use sidewalk. Most sidewalks are slightly higher than the street and are often separated from them by a curb or a strip of grass. There is some historical evidence that Ancient Greece had sidewalks, though the word itself dates from about 1740.

Example Sentences

Dickman made his way out to the sidewalk.

From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026

At the center of the controversy is a sidewalk vending ordinance San Diego adopted in 2024 that also prohibited yoga classes of four or more people at shoreline beaches and parks without city permission.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

The second half of “Sidewalk Nation” covers sidewalk law, focusing on issues of accessibility, policing, free expression and commerce.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

In January 1851, Ulysses S. Grant, then an Army quartermaster, slipped on an icy sidewalk in Detroit and sprained his leg.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

He’d be spotted any minute, halfway in the construction site, and halfway out on the sidewalk.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• boardwalk
• pavement
• walkway