right-of-way

noun

ˌrīt-ə(v)-ˈwā 

plural rights-of-way also right-of-ways

1

: a legal right of passage over another person's ground

2

a

: the area over which a right-of-way exists

b

: the strip of land over which is built a public road

c

: the land occupied by a railroad especially for its main line

d

: the land used by a public utility (as for a transmission line)

3

a

: a precedence in passing accorded to one vehicle over another by custom, decision, or statute

b

: the right of traffic to take precedence

c

: the right to take precedence over others

gave the bill the right-of-way in the Senate

Synonyms

• precedence
• priority

Examples of right-of-way in a Sentence

the bill for emergency aid was immediately granted right-of-way

Recent Examples on the Web

An application has been filed with the city of San Diego for a public right-of-way vacation for excess space that had been reserved for future street purposes between 5895 and 5915 Desert View Drive in La Jolla. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

According to Michigan State Police, under state law, the maneuver may be completed as long as it's done in a safe manner, giving way to other traffic that have the right-of-way. —Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 31 July 2025

And only the property owner, or someone with their permission, can plant flowers in the public right-of-way that's directly in front of their home. —Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 29 July 2025

The question of which vessel had the right-of-way is likely to be a major component of the Coast Guard’s investigation into the barge that crashed into a sailboat in Biscayne Bay off Miami Beach Monday morning, killing two children and leaving two critically injured. —Carl David Goette-Luciak, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for right-of-way

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

Kids Definition

right-of-way

noun

ˌrīt-ə(v)-ˈwā

plural rights-of-way

1

: a legal right to pass over another person's land

2

: the area over which a right-of-way exists

3

: the right of certain traffic to go ahead of other traffic

4

: priority sense 1

gave the bill the right-of-way in the Senate

Legal Definition

right-of-way

1

: an easement or servitude over another's land conferring a right of passage

2

a

: the area over which a right-of-way exists

b

: the strip of land over which is built a public road

c

: the land occupied by a railroad especially for its main line

d

: the land used by a public utility (as for a transmission line)

3

a

: a precedence in passing accorded to one vehicle over another by custom, decision, or statute

b

: the right of traffic to take precedence