ways

¹ American

[weyz] / weɪz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

way.

-ways ² American

a suffix appearing in native English adverbs.

always; sideways.

-ways British

suffix

indicating direction or manner

sideways

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ways¹

Middle English weyes, Old English weges, genitive singular of weg way ¹

Origin of -ways²

Middle English; see way ¹, -s 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 meeting discussed ways to enhance the unit's "capability of military reconnaissance and intelligence activities in a radical way", it added.

From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the government is considering ways to encourage investors to buy more domestic securities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026

Ofcom has set out a number of ways websites can verify the age of users, including through credit card checks, photo ID matching and estimating age using a selfie.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026

The royal treatment at his matches across the All England Club has come in more ways than one.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026

It was only one of the many ways in which she disappointed her mother.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023