traffic light

noun

: a visual signal (such as a system of colored lights) for controlling traffic

Examples of traffic light in a Sentence

Take a left at the traffic light.
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.
About six months ago, my friend Gerry Goldberg and I co-founded the Andie’s Light campaign, petitioning the city councils of Cherry Hills Village and Greenwood Village for a traffic light at Belleview Avenue and Franklin Street. Jerry Presley, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026 Moments before the encounter with Avila at the traffic light, Parish fired the tan pistol into the ground several times, witnesses told police. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026 Presley, a former council member in Greenwood Village, helped Goldberg navigate bureaucratic hurdles to get a traffic light installed. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026 Transportation, a spending category that includes the transit system, traffic lights, sidewalks and Miami-Dade’s support of the Tri-Rail commuter train network, is budgeted to spend $267 million in property taxes this year. Douglas Hanks march 13, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for traffic light

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traffic light was in 1912

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Traffic light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20light. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

traffic light

noun
: a visual signal (as a system of green, yellow, and red lights) for controlling traffic

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