highway
HAHY-wehy
Highway (noun) means a main road, especially a large, fast public road built for long-distance travel. Example: “We took the highway to avoid the city traffic.”
noun
1
A main road, especially a large, fast public road built for long-distance travel.
"We took the highway to avoid the city traffic."
"Lorries thundered along the highway all through the night."
"The motel stood beside a quiet stretch of highway far from town."
2
Any public road open for general travel.
"It is illegal to block the highway with your vehicle."
"Children should never play on the public highway."
"The council is responsible for keeping the highway clear of fallen branches."
How to use highway
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA big, important road meant for fast, long-distance travel.
UK vs US
In the US, "highway" often refers to a major road including motorways/freeways; in the UK it's a more general legal term for any public road, while "motorway" is used for the big fast ones.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
highway patrol
take the highway
highway code
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Word forms
- Plural
- highways
- Third person singular
- highways
- Past tense
- highwayed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We took the _____ to avoid the city traffic.
Etymology
From Old English hēahweġ, literally "high way" — a raised, major road built above the surrounding land, distinguished from smaller local tracks.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for highway
See all rhymes for highway →Frequently asked questions
What does “highway” mean?
The word “highway” means a main road, especially a large, fast public road built for long-distance travel. In plain terms, a big, important road meant for fast, long-distance travel.
How do you pronounce “highway”?
“Highway” is pronounced HAHY-wehy (/ˈhaɪweɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “highway” in a sentence?
Here is “highway” used in a sentence: “We took the highway to avoid the city traffic.”
What part of speech is “highway”?
“Highway” is a noun.
Where does the word “highway” come from?
The word “highway” comes from Old English. From Old English hēahweġ, literally "high way" — a raised, major road built above the surrounding land, distinguished from smaller local tracks.
Is “highway” a common word?
“Highway” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “highway” have?
“Highway” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a main road, especially a large, fast public road built for long-distance travel.
What is the difference between a highway and a freeway?
A highway is any major public road for long-distance travel. A freeway, or motorway in Britain, is a specific type of highway with no traffic lights or intersections, using ramps and overpasses so traffic never stops. Every freeway is a highway, but many highways are ordinary roads with junctions.
What is the difference between a highway and a street?
A street is a public road within a town or city, usually lined with buildings and meant for local access. A highway is a larger main road built to carry traffic quickly over long distances between places. Streets serve neighbourhoods; highways connect towns and regions.
What is another word for highway?
In Britain, a large fast highway is a motorway; in the United States and elsewhere, freeway, expressway, interstate and thruway all name similar high-speed roads. More general terms include main road, trunk road and carriageway. The right word often depends on the country.
Why is it called a highway?
The "high" in highway does not mean elevated. It comes from an old sense of "high" meaning main, chief or public — the principal public road, as opposed to minor lanes and byways. The same idea survives in "the high street," the main shopping road of a British town.
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