1
: moving or allowing movement in either direction
a two-way bridge
2
a
: involving or allowing an exchange between two individuals or groups
there must be good two-way communicationJerrold Orne
especially : designed for both sending and receiving messages
two-way radio
b
: involving mutual responsibility or reciprocal relationships
political alliance is a two-way thingT. H. White †1986
3
a
: involving two participants
a two-way race
b
sports : playing on both the offensive and defensive squads of a team (as in American football)
Frost, a throwback to the era of two-way players, is the Cardinal's starting free safety and backup quarterback.The New York Times
also : playing both offense and defense well
a basketball forward who's a talented two-way player
4
: usable in either of two manners
a two-way lamp
5
: being a cock or valve that will connect a pipe or channel with either of two others

Examples of two-way in a Sentence

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.
The Thunder is the No. 44 overall pick, which is expected to be used to land a player in the second round who can be signed to a two-way contract or drafted and stashed internationally. Nick Crain, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025 Second-round picks do not have any salary restrictions, but the players often sign deals for the league minimum or even two-way contracts with different salaries for the time spent in the developmental NBA G League versus the parent NBA team. Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 25 June 2025 The Red Sox plan to develop him as a two-way player, which may also appeal to the cost-conscious Rays who would be getting both a pitcher and position player for the price of one, simply by giving up Fairbanks. Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 During his tenure, the Dodgers signed a collection of stars headlined by two-way wonder Shohei Ohtani. Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for two-way

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of two-way was in 1571

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Cite this Entry

“Two-way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two-way. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

two-way

adjective
1
: moving or acting or allowing movement or action in either direction
two-way traffic
a two-way street
2
a
: involving two persons or groups
communication is a two-way process
b
: made to send and receive messages
a two-way radio

More from Merriam-Webster on two-way

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