viaduct

noun

via·​duct ˈvī-ə-ˌdəkt How to pronounce viaduct (audio)
: a long elevated roadway usually consisting of a series of short spans supported on arches, piers, or columns

Illustration of viaduct

Illustration of viaduct

Examples of viaduct 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.
Her father, a church preacher on Second and College streets, would drive the family into downtown Louisville three times a week for church services while Herron, through the car window, would watch groups of people underneath bridges and viaducts. Keely Doll, The Courier-Journal, 4 July 2025 The viaduct is an 1,800-foot-long elevated bridge structure that carries three lanes of Interstate 91 southbound over the Connecticut Southern Railroad and the I-91 northbound ramps to and from Whitehead Highway in Hartford, according to the DOT. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 May 2025 In central Georgia, workers from China are erecting soaring viaducts and cutting dozens of tunnels through hard rock to build the first modern highway to link the east and west of the country. Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2025 India's Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project reached a major breakthrough after completing more than 300 kilometers of viaducts were completed. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for viaduct

Word History

Etymology

Latin via way, road + English aqueduct

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of viaduct was in 1816

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Viaduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viaduct. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

viaduct

noun
via·​duct ˈvī-ə-ˌdəkt How to pronounce viaduct (audio)
: a bridge for carrying a road or railroad over something (as a gorge or a highway)

More from Merriam-Webster on viaduct

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!