freeway

English
Interstate 80/580 is a major freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Alternative forms
  • fwy (abbreviation)

Etymology

free +‎ way

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈfɹiː.wei/, enPR: frēʹwā
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (AU)(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːweɪ

Noun

freeway (plural freeways)

  1. (In parts of Canada, the U.S. and Australia) A highway with grade-separated crossings (rather than level crossings) and designed (and only permitted) for high-speed motor-traffic running in two directions on one separate carriageway each
    Synonyms: (Chiefly in Europe, Australia and New Zealand) motorway, (In Malaysia, Singapore and some parts of North America) expressway, (Chiefly in Quebec and France) autoroute, (Chiefly in Germany and Austria) autobahn, (If part of the Interstate Highway System) interstate, (Chiefly in Europe) controlled-access highway
    • 1983, David Brodsly, L. A. Freeway: An Appreciative Essay‎, page 1:
      Contrary to what one might expect of an essay on freeways, this one is neither a diatribe nor a paean.
    • 2008, Derek Hayes, Canada: An Illustrated History‎, page 257:
      In the late 1950s and 1960s most large cities started planning freeway systems, acknowledging the incredible growth in car ownership.
    • 2010, Robert Freestone, Urban Nation: Australia′s Planning Heritage‎, page 161:
      The Australian freeway story of the late twentieth century, like many planning stories, can be told as one of high technical expectations dashed by political controversy.
  2. A toll-free highway.
    Antonyms: turnpike, (Mostly used in Australia, in order to avoid confusion with a toll road which often is referred to as freeway.) tollway, motorway

Derived terms

Translations
motorway — see motorway

Further reading
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