way

Primary Meanings of way

1.	n	how something is done or how it happens
2.	n	space for movement
3.	n	a general category of things; used in the expression `in the way of'
4.	n	a portion of something divided into shares
5.	adv	to a great degree or by a great distance; very much (`right smart' is regional in the United States)

Full Definitions of way

n how something is done or how it happens

“a lonely way of life”

Synonyms:: fashion, manner, modality, mode, style

Types:: show 23 types...; hide 23 types...; artistic style, idiom
the style of a particular artist or school or movement; drape
the manner in which fabric hangs or falls; fit
the manner in which something fits; form
a particular mode in which something is manifested; life style, life-style, lifestyle, modus vivendi
a manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes; setup
the way something is organized or arranged; signature, touch
a distinguishing style; wise
a way of doing or being; response
the manner in which an electrical or mechanical device responds to an input signal or a range of input signals; baroque, baroqueness
elaborate and extensive ornamentation in decorative art and architecture that flourished in Europe in the 17th century; classical style
the artistic style of ancient Greek art with its emphasis on proportion and harmony; order
(architecture) one of original three styles of Greek architecture distinguished by the type of column and entablature used or a style developed from the original three by the Romans; rococo
fanciful but graceful asymmetric ornamentation in art and architecture that originated in France in the 18th century; High Renaissance
the artistic style of early 16th century painting in Florence and Rome; characterized by technical mastery and heroic composition and humanistic content; treatment
a manner of dealing with something artistically; fast lane
a hectic and pressured lifestyle often characterized by recklessness or dissipation; free living
a lifestyle given to easy indulgence of the appetites; vanity fair
a vain and frivolous lifestyle especially in large cities; common touch
the property of appealing to people in general (usually by appearing to have qualities in common with them); hang
the way a garment hangs; neoclassicism
revival of a classical style (in art or literature or architecture or music) but from a new perspective or with a new motivation; classicalism, classicism
a movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms; Romantic Movement, Romanticism
a movement in literature and art during the late 18th and early 19th centuries that celebrated nature rather than civilization

Type of:: property
a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class

n how a result is obtained or an end is achieved

“the true way to success”

Synonyms:: agency, means

Types:: show 18 types...; hide 18 types...; dint
interchangeable with `means' in the expression `by means of'; escape
a means or way of escaping; fast track
a rapid means of achieving a goal; instrument, tool
the means whereby some act is accomplished; road
a way or means to achieve something; stepping stone
any means of advancement; expedient
a means to an end; not necessarily a principled or ethical one; desperate measure
desperate actions taken as a means to an end; open sesame
any very successful means of achieving a result; salvation
a means of preserving from harm or unpleasantness; tooth
a means of enforcement; voice
a means or agency by which something is expressed or communicated; wings
a means of flight or ascent; royal road
an auspicious way or means to achieve something; make-do, makeshift, stopgap
something contrived to meet an urgent need or emergency; crutch
anything that serves as an expedient; improvisation, temporary expedient
an unplanned expedient; last resort, pis aller
an expedient adopted only in desperation

Type of:: effectuation, implementation
the act of implementing (providing a practical means for accomplishing something); carrying into effect

n the condition of things generally

“that's the way it is”

“I felt the same way”

Type of:: condition, status
a state at a particular time

n a course of conduct

“we went our separate ways”

Synonyms:: path, way of life

Types:: show 5 types...; hide 5 types...; ambages
(archaic) roundabout or mysterious ways of action; primrose path
a life of ease and pleasure; straight and narrow, strait and narrow
the way of proper and honest behavior; Sunna, Sunnah, hadith
(Islam) the way of life prescribed as normative for Muslims on the basis of the teachings and practices of Muhammad and interpretations of the Koran; warpath
a course leading to warfare or battle

Type of:: course, course of action
a mode of action

n doing as one pleases or chooses

“if I had my way”

Type of:: choice, pick, selection
the person or thing chosen or selected

n space for movement

“make way for”

Synonyms:: elbow room, room

Types:: show 15 types...; hide 15 types...; seating, seating area, seating room, seats
an area that includes places where several people can sit; standing room
room for passengers or spectators to stand; breathing room, breathing space
sufficient room for easy breathing or movement; clearance, headroom, headway
vertical space available to allow easy passage under something; houseroom
space for accommodation in a house; lebensraum, living space
space sought for occupation by a nation whose population is expanding; parking
space in which vehicles can be parked; sea room
space for maneuver at sea; circle, dress circle
a curved section or tier of seats in a hall or theater or opera house; usually the first tier above the orchestra; orchestra
seating on the main floor in a theater; parquet
seating on the main floor between the orchestra and the parquet circle; parquet circle, parterre
seating at the rear of the main floor (beneath the balconies); ringside, ringside seat
first row of seating; has an unobstructed view of a boxing or wrestling ring; stall
seating in the forward part of the main level of a theater; tiered seat
seating that is arranged in sloping tiers so that spectators in the back can see over the heads of those in front

Type of:: position, spatial relation
the spatial property of a place where or way in which something is situated

n the property of distance in general

“it's a long way to Moscow”

“he went a long ways”

Type of:: distance
the property created by the space between two objects or points

n a line leading to a place or point

“didn't know the way home”

Synonyms:: direction

Types:: show 7 types...; hide 7 types...; aim, bearing, heading
the direction or path along which something moves or along which it lies; course, trend
general line of orientation; east-west direction
in a direction parallel with lines of latitude; north-south direction
in a direction parallel with lines of longitude; qibla
the direction of the Kaaba toward which Muslims turn for their daily prayers; tendency, trend
a general direction in which something tends to move; tack
the heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails

Type of:: itinerary, path, route
an established line of travel or access

n any artifact consisting of a road or path affording passage from one place to another

“he said he was looking for the way out”

Examples:: show 33 examples...; hide 33 examples...; Appian Way
an ancient Roman road in Italy extending south from Rome to Brindisi; begun in 312 BC; Caledonian Canal
a canal in northern Scotland that links North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean; runs diagonally between Moray Firth at the northeastern end and Loch Linnhe at the southwestern end; now little used; Caloosahatchee Canal
a canal that connects Lake Okeechobee with the Caloosahatchee River in southern Florida to form part of the Cross-Florida Waterway; Flaminian Way
an ancient Roman road in Italy built by Gaius Flaminius in 220 BC; extends north from Rome to cisalpine Gaul; Gota Canal
a canal for small oceangoing ships to enter Lake Vanern in Sweden; Iditarod Trail
a trail that extends 1,100 miles from Anchorage over the Alaska Range to Nome; Panama Canal
a ship canal 40 miles long across the Isthmus of Panama built by the United States (1904-1914); Saint Lawrence Seaway
a seaway involving the Saint Lawrence River and the Great Lakes that was developed jointly by Canada and the United States; oceangoing ships can travel as far west as Lake Superior; Santa Fe Trail
a trail that extends from Missouri to New Mexico; an important route for settlers moving west in the 19th century; Fleet Street
a street in central London where newspaper offices are situated; Harley Street
a street in central London where the consulting rooms of many physicians and surgeons are located; Lombard Street
a street in central London containing many of the major London banks; Whitehall
a wide street in London stretching from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament; site of many government offices; Strand
a street in west central London famous for its theaters and hotels; Grand Canal
an inland waterway 1000 miles long in eastern China; extends from Tianjin in the north to Hangzhou in the south; Grand Canal
the major waterway in Venice, Italy; Downing Street
a street of Westminster in London; Pall Mall
a fashionable street in London noted for its many private clubs; Suez Canal
a ship canal in northeastern Egypt linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea; Quai d'Orsay
the street in Paris along the south bank of the Seine known for its governmental ministries; Champs Elysees
a major avenue in Paris famous for elegant shops and cafes; Cape Cod Canal
a canal connecting Cape Cod Bay with Buzzards Bay; Erie Canal
an artificial waterway connecting the Hudson river at Albany with Lake Erie at Buffalo; built in the 19th century; now part of the New York State Barge Canal; New York State Barge Canal
a system of canals crossing New York State and connecting the Great Lakes with the Hudson River and Lake Champlain; Bowery
a street in Manhattan noted for cheap hotels frequented by homeless derelicts; Great White Way
a street in Manhattan that passes through Times Square; famous for its theaters; Park Avenue
a fashionable residential street in New York City; Wall Street
a street in lower Manhattan where the New York Stock Exchange is located; symbol of American finance; Chisholm Trail
a former cattle trail from San Antonio in Texas to Abilene in Kansas; not used after the 1880s; Channel Tunnel
the railroad tunnel between France and England under the English Channel; Fifth Avenue
an avenue in Manhattan that separates the east side of Manhattan from the west side; Seventh Avenue
an avenue in Manhattan that runs north and south; trans-Alaska pipeline
an oil pipeline that runs 800 miles from wells at Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez

Types:: show 55 types...; hide 55 types...; access, approach
a way of entering or leaving; lane
a narrow way or road; passage
a way through or along which someone or something may pass; path
a way especially designed for a particular use; road, route
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation; staircase, stairway
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps; watercourse, waterway
a conduit through which water flows; access road, slip road
a short road giving access to an expressway; adit
a nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine; aisle
a long narrow passage (as in a cave or woods); backstairs
a second staircase at the rear of a building; bridle path, bridle road
a path suitable for riding or leading horses (but not for cars); bypath, byroad, byway
a side road little traveled (as in the countryside); canal
long and narrow strip of water made for boats or for irrigation; causeway
a road that is raised above water or marshland or sand; channel
a passage for water (or other fluids) to flow through; clearway
a road on which you are not allowed to stop (unless you have a breakdown); companionway
a stairway or ladder that leads from one deck to another on a ship; conduit
a passage (a pipe or tunnel) through which water or electric wires can pass; corduroy
a road made of logs laid crosswise; crossing, crossover, crosswalk
a path (often marked) where something (as a street or railroad) can be crossed to get from one side to the other; cul, cul de sac, dead end
a passage with access only at one end; detour, roundabout way
a roundabout road (especially one that is used temporarily while a main route is blocked); drive, parkway
a wide scenic road planted with trees; drive, driveway, private road
a road leading up to a private house; entrance, entranceway, entree, entry, entryway
something that provides access (to get in or get out); escalator, moving staircase, moving stairway
a stairway whose steps move continuously on a circulating belt; emergency exit, fire escape
a stairway (often on the outside of a building) that permits exit in the case of fire or other emergency; fish ladder
a series of ascending pools providing a passage for salmon to swim upstream past a dam; flight, flight of stairs, flight of steps
a stairway (set of steps) between one floor or landing and the next; flume
watercourse that consists of an open artificial chute filled with water for power or for carrying logs; ghat
stairway in India leading down to a landing on the water; headrace
a waterway that feeds water to a mill or water wheel or turbine; highway, main road
a major road for any form of motor transport; lane
a well-defined track or path; for e.g. swimmers or lines of traffic; line, rail line, railway line
the road consisting of railroad track and roadbed; passageway
a passage between rooms or between buildings; footpath, pathway
a trodden path; post road
a road over which mail is carried; right of way
the passage consisting of a path or strip of land over which someone has the legal right to pass; roadway
a road (especially that part of a road) over which vehicles travel; shaft
a long vertical passage sunk into the earth, as for a mine or tunnel; crosscut, cutoff, shortcut
a route shorter than the usual one; side road
a minor road branching off of a main road; skid road
a road made of logs on which freshly cut timber can be hauled; speedway
road where high speed driving is allowed; stairs, steps
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps; tailrace
a watercourse that carries water away from a mill or water wheel or turbine; thoroughfare
a public road from one place to another; throat
a passage resembling a throat in shape or function; towing path, towpath
a path along a canal or river used by animals towing boats; cart track, cartroad, track
any road or path affording passage especially a rough one; turnoff
a side road where you can turn off; paseo, walk, walkway
a path set aside for walking; ramp
a movable staircase that passengers use to board or leave an aircraft

Type of:: artefact, artifact
a man-made object taken as a whole

n a journey or passage

“they are on the way”

Type of:: journey, journeying
the act of traveling from one place to another

n a general category of things; used in the expression `in the way of'

“they didn't have much in the way of clothing”

Type of:: category
a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations in a conceptual scheme

n a portion of something divided into shares

“they split the loot three ways”

Type of:: part, percentage, portion, share
assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group

adv to a great degree or by a great distance; very much (`right smart' is regional in the United States)

“way over budget”

“way off base”

Synonyms:: right smart