Phrase guide

one-way street

noun · 5 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 road in which traffic is allowed to proceed in only one direction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A course of action that cannot be undone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something that lacks reciprocity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a street on which vehicular traffic is allowed to move in only one direction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: street

5

noun

Meaning 5

unilateral interaction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • cooperation cannot be a one-way street

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unilateralism

History

Etymology

From one-way + street.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: еднопосо́чна у́лица (ednoposóčna úlica) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Chinese Cantonese: 單程路 /单程路 (daan1 cing4 lou6) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 單向街 /单向街 (dānxiàngjiē) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 單向道 /单向道 (dānxiàngdào) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 單行道 /单行道 (dānxíngdào) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 單行街 /单行街 (dānxíngjiē) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Czech: jednosměrka — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Danish: ensrettet vej — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Danish: ensrettet gade — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Dutch: eenrichtingsstraat — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Finnish: yksisuuntainen katu — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • French: rue à sens unique — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • German: Einbahnstraße — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Greek: μονόδρομος (monódromos) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Hausa: wanwê — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Hungarian: egyirányú utca — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Icelandic: einstefnugata — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Irish: sráid aontreo — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Japanese: 一方通行 (ippōtsūkō) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Korean: 일방통행 (ilbangtonghaeng) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Korean: 일방통행로 (ilbangtonghaengno) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Macedonian: еднонасочна улица (ednonasočna ulica) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Malay: jalan sehala — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Polish: ulica jednokierunkowa — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Portuguese: rua de mão única — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Romanian: sens unic — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Russian: у́лица с односторо́нним движе́нием (úlica s odnostorónnim dvižénijem) — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Spanish: calle de un solo sentido — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Spanish: calle de mano única — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Spanish: flecha — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Swedish: enkelriktad gata — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction
  • Swedish: enkelriktad väg — road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction