Phrase guide

gateway drug

noun · 3 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A typically legal or less harmful substance, such as marijuana, whose use is statistically associated with an increased likelihood of progressing to a more dangerous or illicit drug.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any thing or area of interest that tends to lead to a deeper involvement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a habit-forming drug that is not addictive but its use may lead to the use of other addictive drugs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • one college athlete recently called beer a gateway drug for young people

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drug of abuse, street drug

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 入門毒品 /入门毒品 (rùmén dúpǐn) — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Finnish: porttihuume — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • German: Einstiegsdroge — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Hungarian: kapudrog — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Polish: furtka — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Portuguese: droga de entrada — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Russian: шлюз (šljuz) — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Russian: ста́ртовый нарко́тик (stártovyj narkótik) — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Russian: перехо́дный нарко́тик (perexódnyj narkótik) — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Spanish: droga iniciática — substance believed to encourage the user to experiment with more harmful substances
  • Chinese Mandarin: 入門途徑 /入门途径 (rùmén tújìng) — thing that tends to lead to deeper involvement
  • Chinese Mandarin: 引入之門 /引入之门 — thing that tends to lead to deeper involvement
  • Finnish: portti — thing that tends to lead to deeper involvement
  • Polish: furtka — thing that tends to lead to deeper involvement