What does "beltway" mean?
A freeway that encircles a city.
Beltway
/ˈbɛltˌweɪ/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A freeway that encircles a city.
- Grammar: beltway is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ring road, beltway politics, bypass, circumferential highway.
- Useful contrasts: grassroots governance, inner city street, open government.
- Usage evidence: But given that it takes 60 votes to beat a filibuster and 66 to override a veto, and given that the GOP has since added four hard-right senators to its total, it’s safe to say that nothing will be happening inside the Beltway anytime soon.
How to use "beltway"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "beltway" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "beltway" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A freeway that encircles a city. US
- 2 a highway that encircles an urban area so that traffic does not have to pass through the center wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the culture of Washington, D.C., sometimes with a suggestion of its elitism or insularity; politicized.
"Apparently wishing to go Beltway in a big way, the Gap reportedly solicited Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos and media adviser Mandy Grunwald to pose for ads, but were turned down."
Proper Noun
- 1 A 64-mile Interstate freeway surrounding Washington, D.C.
- 2 The expressway that surrounds another city.
- 3 The US federal government and policy and lobbying organizations, located in Washington, D.C., sometimes with a suggestion of their elitism or insularity US
"But given that it takes 60 votes to beat a filibuster and 66 to override a veto, and given that the GOP has since added four hard-right senators to its total, it’s safe to say that nothing will be happening inside the Beltway anytime soon."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
grassroots governanceinner city streetopen government
Example
"But given that it takes 60 votes to beat a filibuster and 66 to override a veto, and given that the GOP has since added four hard-right senators to its total, it’s safe to say that nothing will be happening inside the Beltway anytime soon."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "beltway"?
Common synonyms include: ring road, beltway politics, bypass, circumferential highway, orbital road, policy circle.
How do you use "beltway" in a sentence?
But given that it takes 60 votes to beat a filibuster and 66 to override a veto, and given that the GOP has since added four hard-right senators to its total, it’s safe to say that nothing will be happening inside the Beltway anytime soon.
How do you pronounce "beltway"?
Pronounced /ˈbɛltˌweɪ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Extended from beltway (“freeway encircling a city”); compare also highway.
Etymology 2
From belt + way.