pedestrian

adjective pe·des·tri·an \ pə-ˈde-strē-ən \

|Updated on: 6 Jun 2018

Examples: pedestrian in a Sentence

Editor's Note: How Should You Use pedestrian?

Definition of pedestrian

1 : commonplace, unimaginative

his sentences and phrases are too often pedestrian, commonplace, and flat
—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

2 a : going or performed on foot

pedestrian traffic

a pedestrian tour of the village

b : of, relating to, or designed for walking

a pedestrian mall

a pedestrian bridge

See pedestrian defined for English-language learners

See pedestrian defined for kids

Examples of pedestrian in a Sentence

He lived a pedestrian life, working at the paper mill and living in his trailer.
pedestrian concerns like paying the bills and getting the kids to school on time

Recent Examples of pedestrian from the Web

As Peachtree Corners’ Town Center moves toward completion, the conversation about a pedestrian bridge over State Route 141/Peachtree Parkway continues.

— karen huppertz, ajc, "Peachtree Corners bridge over Peachtree Parkway seems likely," 31 May 2018
With its history of clashing with regulators and its autonomous car fleet grounded over a pedestrian death, Uber might seem the least likely candidate to launch a flying taxi service.

— samantha masunaga, latimes.com, "CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says Uber will 'play by the rules' in flying cars," 10 May 2018
Among pedestrian deaths, 50 percent were people 65 and older.

— michael cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Pedestrian safety: SF’s plan to increase crossing times between signals," 9 May 2018
In addition to better roadway and crosswalk design, the institute says higher standards for headlights could reduce pedestrian deaths.

— fredrick kunkle, Washington Post, "Pedestrian deaths soar 46 percent, insurance group finds," 8 May 2018
Last year there were the most pedestrian deaths — 27 — since the city began keeping records in 2002.

— steve harrison, charlotteobserver, "A record number of pedestrians are being killed. The city took action this week. | Charlotte Observer," 25 Apr. 2018
Soon enough, some reason, autonomous cars could reduce or eliminate pedestrian deaths.

— ian bogost, The Atlantic, "Enough With the Trolley Problem," 30 Mar. 2018
Over the last few years, two U.S. cities have made significant headway towards reducing pedestrian deaths.

— alissa walker, Curbed, "This is the moment when we decide that human lives matter more than cars," 20 Mar. 2018
It is believed to be first pedestrian death associated with a self-driving car.

— neal e. boudette, New York Times, "Toyota Takes Self-Driving Cars Off Road After Uber Accident," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pedestrian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

How Should You Use pedestrian?

Most of us know pedestrian as a noun meaning someone who travels on foot. But the adjective sense of pedestrian as defined here is actually its original meaning. To be pedestrian was to be drab or dull, as if plodding along on foot rather than speeding on horseback or by coach. Pedestrian is often used to describe a colorless or lifeless writing style, but it can also describe politicians, public tastes, personal qualities, or possessions. In comparison with the elaborate stage shows put on by today's rock artists, for instance, most of the stage presentations of 1960s rock stars seem pedestrian.

Origin and Etymology of pedestrian

Latin pedestr-, pedester, literally, going on foot, from ped-, pes foot — more at foot

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1716

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

pedestrian Synonyms

pedestrian

noun

Definition of pedestrian

: a person going on foot : walker

See pedestrian defined for English-language learners

Examples of pedestrian in a Sentence

The car slid off the road and almost hit a group of pedestrians.

Recent Examples of pedestrian from the Web

The project also will improve connectivity for cars and pedestrians traveling between the former GM site and the rest of Downtown.

— james briggs, Indianapolis Star, "How a little-known Indianapolis developer got in position to land Amazon's HQ2," 3 June 2018
There were no other cars around, and no pedestrians walking the streets at 3 a.m., when the assault happened.

— lavendrick smith, charlotteobserver, "As paintball assaults spiked in Charlotte, some feared real bullets would follow," 1 June 2018
Direct vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-pedestrian links are considered a key piece of autonomous driving and smart cities efforts.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Qualcomm teams with Ford, Panasonic to test connected car technology in Colorado," 1 June 2018
The new version will have extensive LED lighting at night, and tan-, orange- and yellow-tinted translucent panels to shield pedestrians from wind.

— don stacom, Courant Community, "The Path To A Downtown New Britain Revival? Beehive Bridge," 1 June 2018
Is there a way to angle the slats up or down to prevent pedestrians from seeing completely inside your house, and give you a glimpse of either the sky or the ground?

— jennifer adams, Philly.com, "Ask Jennifer Adams: How to balance outside views and privacy with window treatments," 1 June 2018
The county has a bike sharing program, allowing for residents and visitors to ride around and new bike lanes are appearing, said Chris Eatough bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.

— jess nocera, Howard County Times, "Hundreds of Howard pedal pushers ditch their cars, bike to work," 1 June 2018
Tokyo's itinerary featured a mix of metropolitan marvels, like a visit to the world's busiest pedestrian crossing in Shibuya, to a personal samurai sword demonstration performed at Tokyo's Samurai Museum.

— USA TODAY, "How to experience authentic Japan," 31 May 2018
Nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. last year for the second straight year, an earlier Governors Highway Safety Association report found.

— scott calvert, WSJ, "Driving-Fatality Tests Find Opioid, Pot Use Rising," 31 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of pedestrian

see ¹pedestrian

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1770

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

PEDESTRIAN Defined for English Language Learners

pedestrian

adjective

Definition of pedestrian for English Language Learners

: not interesting or unusual
: relating to or designed for people who are walking

pedestrian

noun

Definition of pedestrian for English Language Learners

: a person who is walking in a city, along a road, etc.

PEDESTRIAN Defined for Kids

pedestrian

noun pe·des·tri·an \ pə-ˈdes-trē-ən \

Definition of pedestrian for Students

: a person who is walking

Word Root of pedestrian

The Latin word pes, meaning “foot,” and its form pedis give us the root ped. A pedestrian is a person who travels on foot. Before trains, planes, and cars, an expedition, or journey, was often carried out by foot. An impediment makes movement or progress difficult, as if getting in the way of the feet.