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way definition

way (wā)

noun

  1. a means of passing from one place to another, as a road, highway, street or path the Appian Way
  2. room or space for passing; free area; an opening, as in a crowd or traffic clear a way for the ambulance
  3. a route or course that is or may be used to go from one place to another: often used in combination highway, railway, one-way street
  4. a specified route or direction on the way to town
  5. a path in life; course or habits of life or conduct to fall into evil ways
    1. a course of action; method or manner of doing something do it this way
    2. a means to an end; method a way to cut costs
  7. a usual or customary manner of living, acting, or being the way of the world
  8. a characteristic manner of acting or doing to learn the ways of other people
  9. manner or style to have a pleasant way
  10. distance a long way off
  11. direction of movement or action go this way; look this way
  12. respect; point; particular; feature to be right in some ways
  13. what one desires; wish; will to have or get one's own way
  14. range or scope, as of experience a method that never came in his way
  15. relationship as to those taking part: used in hyphenated compounds a four-way conversation
  16. Informal a (specified) state or condition to be in a bad way
  17. Informal a district; locality; area out our way
  18. Law, Now Rare right of way (sense )
  19. Mech. a surface or slide on which the carriage of a lathe, etc. moves along its bed
  20. Naut. a ship's movement or momentum through water
  21. Shipbuilding a timber framework on which a ship is built and along which it slides in launching

Etymology: ME < OE weg, akin to Ger < IE base *weĝh-, to go > L vehere, to carry, ride, Gr ochos, wagon

adverb

Informal away; far; to a considerable extent or at some distance way behind
way Idioms

by the way

  1. incidentally
  2. on or beside the way

by way of

  1. passing through; through; via
  2. as a way, method, mode, or means of
  3. Chiefly Brit. in the condition or position of by way of being a fine pianist

come someone's way

  1. to come within someone's scope or range; come to someone
  2. Informal to turn out successfully for someone
    also go someone's way

give way

  1. to withdraw; yield
  2. to break down; collapse

give way to

  1. to step aside for; yield to
  2. to give free expression to to give way to tears

go all the way

☆
  1. Informal to proceed or agree completely
  2. Slang to engage in sexual intercourse

go out of the way

or go out of one's way
to inconvenience oneself; do something that one would not ordinarily do, or that requires extra or deliberate effort or trouble

in the way

in such a position or of such a nature as to obstruct, hinder, impede, or prevent

lead the way

to be a guide or example

make one's way

  1. to advance or proceed
  2. to advance in life or succeed, as by one's own efforts

make way

  1. to make room; clear a passage
  2. to make progress

on the way out

  1. becoming unfashionable, obsolescent, etc.
  2. dying

out of the way

  1. in a position so as not to hinder or interfere
  2. disposed of
  3. not on the right or usual route or course
    1. improper; wrong; amiss
    2. unusual; uncommon

parting of the ways

an ending of a relationship as because of a disagreement

see one's way clear

  1. to be willing (to do something)
  2. to find it convenient or possible
Also see one's way

take one's way

Old Poet. to go on a journey; travel

the way

according to the way that; as with things the way they are

under way

  1. moving; advancing; making progress
  2. Naut.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms way idiom

way Synonyms

way

n.

  1. Road

    trail, walk, byway; see highway.

  2. Course

    alternative, direction, progression, trend, tendency, distance, space, extent, bearing, orbit, approach, passage, route, gateway, entrance, access, door, gate, channel.

  3. Means

    method, mode, means, plan, technique, design, system, procedure, process, measure, contrivance, stroke, step, move, action, idea, outline, plot, policy, instrument.

  4. Manner

    form, fashion, gait, tone, guise, habit, custom, usage, behavior, style.

by the way

casually, by the by, as a matter of fact; see incidentally.

by way of

via, routed through, detoured through, utilizing; see through 4.

get out of the<strong> or </strong>one's way

go, step aside, remove oneself, retire; see leave 1, remove 1.

go one's own way

persevere, do what one pleases, do one's thing*; see choose 1, continue 1, decide.

give way (to)

give preference to, permit, accede to; see allow 1, retire 1, 3, retreat 1, 2.

in the way

obstructing, bothersome, nagging; see disturbing, impeding, meddlesome.

lead the way

conduct, take the lead, be the leader; see lead 1.

make one's way

progress, succeed, do well; see advance 1, profit 2, win 1, 4.

make way

  1. draw back, pull back, give way, withdraw;

  2. make headway, move right along, get somewhere.

on the way out

declining, unfashionable, no longer fashionable, going out; see old-fashioned, unpopular.

out of the way

  1. disposed of, terminated, taken out;

  2. hard to get to, off the beaten track, in the country, rural, tucked away.

parting of the ways

break-up, disagreement, agreeing to disagree, difference of opinion; see fight 1, separation 1.

see one's way clear

agree to, be able, be willing, be prepared to; see can 4.

under way

going, prospering, making headway; see moving 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

way Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • life: Democracy is not about numbers, it is a way of life.

Converse of object

  • find: The speakers also seemed to find a way of picking up Forth FM whilst the lecturer was trying to speak.

Adjective modifier

  • same: In the same way, words don't describe things.

Modifies a noun

  • round: Any apology should have been the other way round.

Noun used with modifier

  • fun: Introduction to Wakeboarding - £ 59 Get involved with the fastest growing, coolest and most fun way to take to the water.
way usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

way quotes

It is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way is most commonly the foulest, and surely the fairer way is not much about.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

But when a man who sees the world one way becomes Barker theslave of a manwho interpretstheworld inexactly the opposite way, the result is, to my mind, the worst possible kind of slavery.

-Jones

   So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.

-Bible (Old Testament)

way quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"way." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/way>

APA Style

way. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/way

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