corridor

noun

cor·​ri·​dor ˈkȯr-ə-dər 

ˈkär-, 

-ˌdȯr 

1

a

: a passageway (as in a hotel or office building) into which compartments or rooms open

b

: a place or position in which especially political power is wielded through discussion and deal-making

was excluded from the corridors of power after losing the election

2

: a usually narrow passageway or route: such as

a

: a narrow strip of land through foreign-held territory

b

: a restricted lane for air traffic

c

: a land path used by migrating animals

3

a

: a densely populated strip of land including two or more major cities

… the Northeast corridor stretching from Washington into New England …

—S. D. Browne

b

: an area or stretch of land identified by a specific common characteristic or purpose

a corridor of liberalism

the city's industrial corridor

Synonyms of corridor

• region
• neck
• land
• part(s)

Examples of corridor in a Sentence

They pushed me down the hospital corridor to the operating room.

A corridor of land lies between the two mountain ranges.

Recent Examples on the Web

Pullman Park Retail Center will be constructed on 111th Street just west of a retail corridor completed by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives in 2017. — Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

The deadly crash is the latest in a series of fatal collisions along the 14-mile Fix 50 construction corridor. — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Leading a civic institution like the Lakers would once again elevate the exec to the primary power corridors of the city. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Republicans Nelly Hernandez, 39, is a small-business owner and co-founder of the political group Osceola Action Committee, created in 2022 to slow development along Kissimmee Park Road, a corridor with heavy traffic. — Sara-James Ranta, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

earlier "covered passageway, path surrounding fortifications," borrowed from French, borrowed from regional Italian (by-form of Tuscan corridoio), from correre "to run" (going back to Latin currere) + -idore, going back to Latin -i-tōrium (from -i- -i- + -tōrium, suffix of place, from neuter of -tōrius, adjective derivative of -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix) — more at current entry 1

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

corridor

noun

cor·​ri·​dor ˈkȯr-əd-ər 

ˈkär-, 

-ə-ˌdȯ(ə)r

1

: a passageway (as in a school) into which compartments or rooms open

2

: a narrow strip of land especially through territory held by an enemy

Etymology

from early French corridor "passageway," from early Italian corridore (same meaning), from correre "to run," from Latin currere "to run" — related to course, current