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Definition of 'motorway'

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motorway

(moʊtəʳweɪ )
Word forms: plural motorways
variable noun
A motorway is a major road that has been specially built for fast travel over long distances. Motorways have several lanes and special places where traffic gets on and leaves.
[British]
...the M1 motorway.
...the national motorway network.
regional note:   in AM, usually use freeway
Synonyms: highway [US], A road, main road, freeway [US]   More Synonyms of motorway
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

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motorway

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motorway

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motorway in British English

(ˈməʊtəˌweɪ )
noun
British
a main road for fast-moving traffic, having limited access, separate carriageways for vehicles travelling in opposite directions, and usually a total of four or six lanes
US names: superhighway or (also Canadian) expressway
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

motorway in American English

(ˈmoʊtərˌweɪ )
noun
Chiefly British
freeway
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency

motorway in American English

(ˈmoutərˌwei)
noun
Brit
an expressway
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1900–05; motor + way1]

Examples of 'motorway' in a sentence
motorway

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…
Official figures show that motorway traffic has increased twice as quickly as on other roads.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They aim to snarl traffic in the area by blocking the main coastal motorway.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Our motorways and roads are becoming more congested and rail offers fast and clean supply chain solutions.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Ministers have talked about the benefits of rail freight as a means of cutting motorway traffic.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Currently you can't drive on a motorway until you have passed your test.
The Sun (2017)
SPEED limits near roadworks on motorways and other major roads could be increased to ease jams.
The Sun (2016)
COPS collared a man walking his dog along a busy motorway.
The Sun (2017)
Its location in the Midlands near the motorway network makes it an ideal meeting place for people coming from different parts of the country.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Hampshire and Thames Valley police carried out the crackdown on main roads and motorways in the region over five days last week.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Dozens of installations on motorways and major roads have been vandalised.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The band were forced to get off and push it along a busy motorway.
The Sun (2012)
Many of them are very busy and connect places not on our motorway network.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Plus you can get adaptive cruise control for long motorway journeys.
The Sun (2014)
Is raising the motorway speed limit really such a good idea?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You need to know how it drives in city traffic and at motorway speeds.
The Sun (2011)
This meant that he preferred back roads to motorways.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It has good links to the motorway network and channel ports.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It is comfortable for cruising long distances on motorways as well as driving up bumpy mountain tracks.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We sent photographers to monitor traffic on two motorways.
The Sun (2014)
Motoring organisations say they offer a glimpse of how motorway speed limits will be enforced in the future.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The property is handy for nearby major roads and motorways and has a garage and access to communal gardens.
The Sun (2013)
Heavy traffic jams were reported on nearly all the main motorways as ten million headed to the countryside and beaches.
The Sun (2009)
Perhaps his priority should be building new roads and repairing motorway potholes to really get the wheels of industry running smoothly.
The Sun (2011)
They were able to slow the vehicle almost to a standstill from ten miles away as it was driven on a motorway.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
People of this century move about rapidly; we drive on motorways and dash around cities.
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Many of the main motorways and long-distance trunk roads are likely to be busier than usual.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The agency said that five people had been killed last year while working on motorways and major roads in Britain.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
SICK thugs hurled two dogs on to a busy motorway from a car doing 80mph.
The Sun (2008)
MANY people seem to have been amused and surprised that a dog drove a quad bike on to a busy motorway this week.
The Sun (2015)

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motorway

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In other languages
motorway

British English: motorway /ˈməʊtəˌweɪ/ NOUN
A motorway is a wide road specially built for fast travel over long distances.
  • American English: freeway /ˈfriweɪ/
  • Arabic: طَرِيقُ السَّيَارَاتِ
  • Brazilian Portuguese: auto-estrada
  • Chinese: 高速公路
  • Croatian: autocesta
  • Czech: dálnice
  • Danish: motorvej
  • Dutch: snelweg
  • European Spanish: autopista
  • Finnish: moottoritie
  • French: autoroute
  • German: Autobahn
  • Greek: αυτοκινητόδρομος
  • Italian: autostrada
  • Japanese: 高速道路
  • Korean: 고속도로
  • Norwegian: motorvei
  • Polish: autostrada
  • European Portuguese: auto-estrada
  • Romanian: autostradă
  • Russian: автострада
  • Latin American Spanish: autopista
  • Swedish: motorväg
  • Thai: ทางหลวง
  • Turkish: otoyol
  • Ukrainian: траса
  • Vietnamese: đường cao tốc

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Nearby words of
motorway

  • motorship
  • motorsports
  • motortruck
  • motorway
  • motorway journey
  • motorway network
  • motorway restaurant

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'M'

Related terms of
motorway

  • motorway journey
  • motorway network
  • motorway traffic
  • motorway restaurant
  • motorway service station

  • View more related words

Source

Definition of motorway from theCollins English Dictionary
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Apr 27, 2021
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Scrabble score
for 'motorway':
16

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