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.
Using a phone while stopped at a traffic light or stoplight. Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 28 July 2025 Waymo driverless vehicles wait at a traffic light in Santa Monica, California, on May 30, 2025. Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 26 July 2025 After hitting the semitrailer, the passenger vehicle left the roadway, rolling several times and striking a traffic light pole before coming to a rest in the southbound lanes of Old Missouri Road, the release states. Arkansas Online, 21 July 2025 The Jeep struck a traffic light pole at the northeast corner of the intersection and split in half. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 9 July 2025 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 3 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

traffic light

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

More from Merriam-Webster on traffic light

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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