route

noun

\ ˈrüt

, ˈrau̇t

Definition of route

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a traveled way : highway the main route north

b : a means of access : channel the route to social mobility— T. F. O'Dea

2 : a line of travel : course

3a : an established or selected course of travel or action

b : an assigned territory to be systematically covered a newspaper route

route

verb

routed; routing

Definition of route (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to send by a selected route : direct was routed along the scenic shore road

2 : to divert in a specified direction

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about route

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Examples of route in a Sentence

Noun

We didn't know what route to take. an escape route in case of fire a major bird migratory route You could take a different route and still arrive at the same conclusion. Take Route 2 into town. We live on a rural route.

Verb

Traffic was routed around the accident. When the doctor is out, his calls are routed to his answering service.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Today's deal isn't so much a specific route, airline, or price. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "12 Days of Deals: U.S. to Europe from $323 Round-Trip," 20 Dec. 2018 These are the routes experts recommend for taking care of this annoying issue. — Sam Escobar, Good Housekeeping, "5 Dandruff Treatments That Actually Work, According to Dermatologists," 13 Dec. 2018 Litigation is the most traditional route—and the most expensive and time consuming. — Elizabeth Kiefer, Glamour, "How to Get Divorced," 30 Nov. 2018 My absolute favorite way to wear them is the office-chic route. — Adrienne Faurote, Marie Claire, "The Item I Wear to Death: My Hi-Rise Agolde Jeans," 28 Nov. 2018 But Stoa, the author of Craft Weed: Family Farming and the Future of the Marijuana Industry, argues that in a world where cannabis is legal, there is a route for cannabis agriculture to stay sustainable and local. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Why the future of marijuana farming could be craft weed," 21 Nov. 2018 Prescription drugs are carefully evaluated and labeled to reflect the risks of the medications and their potential interactions with other medicines, and vaping active drug ingredients is an ineffective route of delivery and can be dangerous. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "E-cig co. put Viagra, Cialis in vape liquids—the FDA is throbbing mad," 12 Oct. 2018 There are countless hues to choose from, too: A rich, warm mahogany hue might suit some people, while a cool-toned coffee or cedar-brown will be a better route for others. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "19 Beautiful Dark Brown Hair Colors to Inspire Your Next Dye Job," 11 Aug. 2018 In light of the City Council vote, city staff plans to look into whether a solicitation process, which lasts about six months, is the best route. — David Hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "National City to move forward with plans for community gardens," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Photo: Getty Images Since taking charge, Mr. Yao has worked to route more revenue to the owners, according to interviews with more than a dozen CBA team officials, agents, sports executives and academics. — Wayne Ma, WSJ, "Yao Ming Shoots for a Basketball Revolution," 14 July 2018 In the early 1970s, the Post Office Department made the decision to send mail to a central location where high-speed sorters would route it. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "12 Geeky Ways to Deliver Mail: U.S. Postal Service Technology Through the Ages," 18 Jan. 2019 Air traffic control would route you to the nearest appropriate airport. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "What happens on plane full of sick passengers? An aerospace medicine expert explains," 6 Sep. 2018 Ford did not send the letter directly to Feinstein, opting instead to route it through her Northern California congresswoman. — Gregg Re, Fox News, "Kavanaugh accuser's details have changed, but she remains certain about abuse," 23 Sep. 2018 The modern American way of war needs space to prevail on the battlefield—to keep track of adversaries, route communications traffic, and guide bombs to their destinations. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Who Wins in a US-China Space War?," 7 Sep. 2016 In 2004 and again this year, the U.S.G.A. has chosen to route the bulk of the spectator parking farther away from the golf course to avoid congestion near the tournament site. — Bill Pennington, New York Times, "Shinnecock Indian Nation and U.S.G.A. Are Close to a Deal for the U.S. Open," 29 May 2018 The two-year pilot, which begins in July, will essentially pool wheelchair-accessible vehicles and route them through a centralized dispatcher. — Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, "Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing apps are ‘useless’ for disabled riders, NYC advocates say," 26 May 2018 Unlike in the United States, where Facebook's AI systems automatically route most stories to fact-checking organizations, in Mexico, Facebook relies on ordinary people to spot questionable posts. — chicagotribune.com, "Facebook's battle against fake news reaches Mexico ahead of July 1 election," 23 June 2018

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

History and Etymology for route

Noun

Middle English rute, route, borrowed from Anglo-French rute, going back to Vulgar Latin *rupta (short for *rupta via, literally, "broken way, forced passage," after Latin viam rumpere "to force a passage"), from feminine of ruptus, past participle of rumpere "to break, burst," going back to Indo-European *ru-n-p-, nasal present formation from the base *reu̯p- "break, tear" — more at reave

Verb

derivative of route entry 1

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