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
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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈməʊtəweɪ/
British, Southern, Standard:/ˈməwtəwɛj/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A highway with grade-separated crossings (rather than level crossings) and designed (and only permitted) for high-speed motor-traffic (in Europe motor vehicles with a higher speed limit than 40 km/h) running in two directions on one separate carriageway each.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, New-South-Wales, New-Zealand, UK
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: freeway, expressway, highway, autoroute
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A racetrack venue designated especially for the sport of auto racing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: (motor) speedway, motospeedway
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
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: expressway, freeway, pike, state highway, superhighway, throughway, thruway