English

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

Noun

freeway ‎(plural freeways)

1. (Australia, Canada, US) A road designed for safe, high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections, usually divided and having at least two lanes in each direction; a dual carriageway with no at-grade crossings, a motorway.
   • 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.

Usage notes

In Australian usage, the term freeway is sometimes avoided for toll roads. For high-speed roads where tolls apply, terms such as tollway and motorway may be used.

Translations

Related terms

• autobahn
• autoroute
• controlled-access highway
• expressway
• highway
• interstate
• motorway
• turnpike