gateway

The word “gateway” means an entrance or opening that can be closed with a gate. In plain terms, an entrance, or something that opens the way to something else, including in a computing-network sense.

“Gateway” is pronounced GAYT-way (/ˈɡeɪtˌweɪ/ in IPA).

Here is “gateway” used in a sentence: “They passed through a stone gateway into the old town.”

“Gateway” is a noun.

“Gateway” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Gateway” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an entrance or opening that can be closed with a gate.

A gateway is a device or system that connects two different networks, often translating between different protocols or formats so the networks can communicate. A router, by contrast, typically directs traffic between networks that already share the same protocol, making a gateway a broader, more general-purpose connecting point.

Used figuratively, "gateway" describes something that leads to or makes possible a further experience or stage, such as a qualification, city, or event that opens the door to bigger opportunities. This sense extends the physical idea of a gateway as an entrance into an abstract idea of access or transition.

A gateway is specifically an entrance or opening that can be closed with a gate, often marking the boundary of a larger property, city, or region. A doorway is a smaller-scale opening for a door, usually part of a single building rather than an enclosed area.