road

noun

1
: roadstead
often used in plural
2
a
: an open way for vehicles, persons, and animals
especially : one lying outside of an urban district : highway
3
: a route or way to an end, conclusion, or circumstance
on the road to success
4
5
: a series of scheduled visits or appearances (such as games or performances) in several locations or the travel necessary to make these visits
the team is on the road
on tour with the musical's road company
roadless adjective
Phrases
down the road
: in or into the future

Examples of road in a Sentence

We'll cross the road up ahead at the crosswalk. He drove off the road. We parked by the side of the road. There are lots of cars on the road this morning. These country roads are beautiful. a desolate stretch of road Miles of road lay ahead. The cabin is accessible by road.
Recent Examples on the Web In an interview with The Times last year, Benza’s attorney said that’s because the person Brock passed on the side of the road wasn’t his client, but another law enforcement officer probably from another agency. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Just a few miles down the road, in the resort town of Rancho Mirage, there was another hotbed of celebs around the Tamarisk Country Club. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024 Elijah’s red-and-white plaid blanket was found on a road a little over 3 miles from an apartment building in Two Rivers, a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, where he was last seen on Feb. 20, according to a social media post by local police. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Filing for bankruptcy would mean forgoing more control over his business and may force him to make undesirable sales or other transactions down the road. Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Keep in mind the North Rim and its scenic roads are closed in the winter. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024 The only way to get across the street to the playground is to pick up my wheelchair and carry it over the ridge of slush at the edge of the road. Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 19 Mar. 2024 It's located down the road from the Mercantile off of Kihekah Avenue. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024 Late Sunday morning, Jonathan Lindor passed by three corpses lying side by side in the road. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'road.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rode, from Old English rād ride, journey; akin to Old English rīdan to ride

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of road was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near road

Cite this Entry

“Road.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/road. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

road

noun
1
: roadstead
often used in plural
2
a
: an open way for vehicles, persons, and animals
3
: path sense 2b
the road to success
4
5
: a series of visits to several places or the travel necessary to get there
the team plays five games on the road
traveled with the road company of the play

More from Merriam-Webster on road

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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