red-light

1 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly red light
: relating to or being an area with many brothels or sex workers
Just inside the entrance to "Picasso Érotique," the exhibition's designer has recreated an imagined bordello bedroom as one might have existed in the red-light district of Barcelona in the era of Picasso's youth.Arthur C. Danto
In the beginning, entertainment ran more along the lines of saloons, card games and red light activities.Jennifer Houghton

red light

2 of 2

noun

: a warning signal
especially : a red traffic signal

Examples of red-light in a Sentence

Noun the reporter took her glower as a red light and stopped asking questions
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Notice an uptick in aggressive driving behaviors like red-light running, speeding, tailgating, honking and cutting off other vehicles while on the road? Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 23 Sep. 2025 Alarmingly, 41% of Y Combinator companies target low-priority and red-light zones. Wayne Liu, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Anderson says, suddenly noticing the red light on my recorder. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025 The red light went on, and with a smile his face, Hartman looked at the Wild bench and strutted to the corner of T-Mobile Arena, as the rink went mostly silent. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for red-light

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1894, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red-light was in 1849

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Red-light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-light. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

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