two-way
Americanadjective
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providing for or allowing movement in opposite directions, or both to and from a place.
two-way traffic.
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allowing or entailing communication or exchange between two persons, groups, countries, etc.
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involving two parties or participants, as a relationship or agreement; two-sided.
a two-way race for the nomination.
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entailing responsibilities, obligations, etc., on both such parties.
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capable of both receiving and sending signals.
a two-way radio.
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capable of being used in two ways.
adjective
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moving, permitting movement, or operating in either of two opposite directions
two-way traffic
a two-way valve
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involving two participants
a two-way agreement
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involving reciprocal obligation or mutual action
a two-way process
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(of a radio, telephone, etc) allowing communications in two directions using both transmitting and receiving equipment
Etymology
Origin of two-way
First recorded in 1565–75
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.
Scientists often refer to this two-way communication system as the gut-brain axis.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
At peak times on Saturday, just before sunset, the narrow two-way street to Duryea’s is filled with cars as high-heeled and preppy patrons walk along the sloped grassy shoulder of the road.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Sometimes it's the other way round. It's the local authority putting forward something that's unacceptable in terms of the impact on the community. It's a two-way street."
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Braun told me that managed security service providers offer a two-way benefit: it helps his project get over the scalability hump by pooling resources, while the small utilities benefit from a shared information environment.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Scraping the snow away from the two-way door, I stuck my head in.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
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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.