Phrase guide

right of way

noun · 10 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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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The right to proceed first in traffic, on land, on water or in the air. Also in metaphorical senses.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A legal right of passage over another's land or pathways.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • 2000, "Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) (c.37)" (UK), II.48(4), “restricted byway” means a highway over which the public have restricted byway rights, with or without a right to drive animals of any description along the highway, but no other rights of way.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A strip of land or alignment where portions of a roadway, railway, power line, or other utilities and their associated structures and facilities is located or passes acquired through eminent domain or expropriation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • Meronym: permanent way

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Land on which a right of way exists.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The area modified for passage of a railway; often specifically the railbed and tracks.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: permanent way

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The priority granted to the first person to properly execute an attack.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: fencing, government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: Wisconsin

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

the passage consisting of a path or strip of land over which someone has the legal right to pass

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: passage

9

noun

Meaning 9

the right of one vehicle or vessel to take precedence over another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: right

10

noun

Meaning 10

the privilege of someone to pass over land belonging to someone else

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: easement

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

70 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: предимство (predimstvo) — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Catalan: prioritat — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 路權 /路权 (lùquán) — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Danish: forkørselsret — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Dutch: voorrang — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Finnish: etuajo-oikeus — right to proceed first in traffic
  • French: priorité — right to proceed first in traffic
  • German: Vorfahrt — right to proceed first in traffic
  • German: Vorrang — right to proceed first in traffic
  • German: Vortritt — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Greek: δικαίωμα πορείας (dikaíoma poreías) — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Greek: προτεραιότητα (proteraiótita) — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Hungarian: elsőbbség — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Icelandic: umferðarréttur — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Irish: ceart bealaigh — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Korean: 우선통행권 (useontonghaenggwon) — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forkjørsrett — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forkøyrsrett — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Occitan: prioritat — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Polish: pierwszeństwo — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Portuguese: preferência — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Portuguese: prioridade — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Russian: приоритет (prioritet) — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Slovak: prednosť v jazde — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Slovene: prednost — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Spanish: preferencia — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Spanish: prioridad — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Swedish: företräde — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Swedish: often mistakenly called förkörsrätt — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Welsh: blaenoriaeth — right to proceed first in traffic
  • Finnish: tieoikeus — legal right of passage
  • Finnish: käyttöoikeus — legal right of passage
  • French: droit de passage — legal right of passage
  • French: servitude — legal right of passage
  • German: Wegerecht — legal right of passage
  • Hungarian: átjárás joga — legal right of passage
  • Hungarian: átjárási jog — legal right of passage
  • Hungarian: szolgalmi jog — legal right of passage
  • Hungarian: útszolgalom — legal right of passage
  • Hungarian: szolgalom — legal right of passage
  • Korean: 통행권 (tonghaenggwon) — legal right of passage
  • Polish: pierwszeństwo — legal right of passage
  • Portuguese: serventia — legal right of passage
  • Scottish Gaelic: còir-slighe — legal right of passage
  • Slovak: právo prechodu — legal right of passage
  • Spanish: derecho de paso — legal right of passage
  • Spanish: derecho de vía — legal right of passage
  • Vietnamese: quyền có lối đi — legal right of passage
  • Finnish: tieoikeus — strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities is located
  • Finnish: rataoikeus — strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities is located
  • French: droit de passage — strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities is located
  • Polish: nawierzchnia — strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities is located
  • Spanish: servidumbre de paso — strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities is located
  • Vietnamese: hành lang — strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities is located
  • Vietnamese: lộ giới — strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities is located
  • Finnish: tiealue — land on which a right of way exists
  • Finnish: rautatiealue — land on which a right of way exists
  • Polish: nawierzchnia — land on which a right of way exists
  • Scottish Gaelic: còir-slighe — land on which a right of way exists
  • Vietnamese: lối ra vào — land on which a right of way exists
  • Vietnamese: lối đi ưu tiên — land on which a right of way exists
  • Finnish: rautatiealue — area modified for passage of a railway
  • French: voie — area modified for passage of a railway
  • French: voie ferrée — area modified for passage of a railway
  • Occitan: camin de fèrre — area modified for passage of a railway
  • Polish: nawierzchnia — area modified for passage of a railway
  • Finnish: etuoikeus — fencing: priority
  • French: priorité — fencing: priority
  • German: Treffervorrecht — fencing: priority
  • Polish: pierwszeństwo — fencing: priority