Standard Lemma guide

expressway

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪkˈspɹɛs.weɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 K S P R EH1 S W EY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A divided highway, especially one whose intersections and direct access to adjacent properties have been eliminated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, regional

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Synonym of freeway.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South-Korea

Qualifier: parts of the US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: freeway

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A road built for high speed traffic, but not up to motorway standards or designated a motorway.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: New-Zealand, UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: freeway, motorway, pike, state highway, superhighway, throughway, thruway

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: highway, main road

Narrower terms: autobahn, autostrada, turnpike, toll road

History

Etymology

From express + way.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 高速公路 (gāosùgōnglù) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Dutch: expressweg — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • French: autoroute — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Greek: αυτοκινητόδρομος (aftokinitódromos) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Interlingua: autostrata — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Italian: superstrada — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Japanese: 高速道路 (kōsoku dōro) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Japanese: 自動車道 (jidōshadō) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Japanese: 高速自動車国道 (kōsoku jidōsha kokudō) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Korean: 고속 도로 (gosok doro) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Korean: 자동차 전용 도로 (jadongcha jeonyong doro) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Korean: 자동차도 (jadongchado) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Lithuanian: greitkelis — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Macedonian: автопат (avtopat) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Malay: lebuh raya — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Polish: autostrada — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Portuguese: auto-estrada — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Russian: автомагистра́ль (avtomagistrálʹ) — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Serbo-Croatian: autocesta — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Shona: marodi — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Spanish: autopista — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Turkish: otoyol — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Vietnamese: đường cao tốc — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Volapük: motoraveg — US: divided highway — see also motorway
  • Danish: motortrafikvej — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Finnish: moottoriliikennetie — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • French: voie express — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Austrian German: Autostraße — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Switzerland German: Autostrasse — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • German: Kraftfahrstraße — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Korean: 고속화도로 (gosokhwadoro) — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Lithuanian: greitkelis — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Norwegian Bokmål: motortrafikkvei — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: motortrafikkveg — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Polish: droga ekspresowa — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Swedish: motortrafikled — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Turkish: motorlu taşıt yolu — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
  • Turkish: ekspres yol — high speed road, not built to motorway standards
Real reading context

expressway in complete knowledge articles