road

noun

1
: roadstead
often used in plural
2
a
: an open way for vehicles, persons, and animals
especially : one lying outside of an urban district : highway
3
: a route or way to an end, conclusion, or circumstance
on the road to success
4
5
: a series of scheduled visits or appearances (such as games or performances) in several locations or the travel necessary to make these visits
the team is on the road
on tour with the musical's road company
roadless adjective
Phrases
down the road
: in or into the future

Examples of road in a Sentence

We'll cross the road up ahead at the crosswalk. He drove off the road. We parked by the side of the road. There are lots of cars on the road this morning. These country roads are beautiful. a desolate stretch of road Miles of road lay ahead. The cabin is accessible by road.
Recent Examples on the Web Late Sunday morning, Jonathan Lindor passed by three corpses lying side by side in the road. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Aerial footage from Twin Cities television station WCCO showed the semi and its trailer ended up off the road, with the trailer in its side. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2024 With the rope dropped, the man behind the wheel let up on the clutch and sped down the road. Jared Lemus, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024 The road up is winding, filled with switchbacks, hanging vines and vistas where, on mild nights, couples linger in cars against the backdrop of Honolulu’s city lights. Kristina Linnea Garcia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 However, drivers can take these six main roads in some way or combination to get to Norwood, Cincinnati's east side or I-71. The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road. Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 This means there’s a chance 2024 is the year the stadium plan finally gets put into motion now that Stronach is on board, regardless of what could come down the road regarding MLS expansion. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 In January this year, Masque took to the road, with a pop-up at Nahargarh Fort on the fringes of the Ranthambore forest, and then in a mango farm in Chennai, where 100 diners sat at a single wooden table for a dinner by India’s top chefs, including Totlani. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'road.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rode, from Old English rād ride, journey; akin to Old English rīdan to ride

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of road was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near road

Cite this Entry

“Road.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/road. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

road

noun
1
: roadstead
often used in plural
2
a
: an open way for vehicles, persons, and animals
3
: path sense 2b
the road to success
4
5
: a series of visits to several places or the travel necessary to get there
the team plays five games on the road
traveled with the road company of the play

More from Merriam-Webster on road

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!