Pathway

//ˈpɑːθˌweɪ// noun

noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A footpath or other path or track.

    "follow the pathway"

  2. 2
    a trodden path wordnet
  3. 3
    A sequence of biochemical compounds, and the reactions linking them, that describe a process in metabolism or catabolism.

    "On the other hand, it can be observed that, with small exceptions, the S. pneumonia strains are the only Streptococci equipped with homospermidine biosynthesis and pyruvate oxidation pathways, which have been found to be involved in pathogenicity mechanisms [50 ] and in the counteraction of oxidative stress [51 ]."

  4. 4
    a bundle of myelinated nerve fibers following a path through the brain wordnet
  5. 5
    A course of action. figuratively

    "the pathway to success"

Example

More examples

"No matter what you desire of life, other people's aims, ambitions and activities constitute vital obstructions along your pathway."

Etymology

From Middle English pathwei, equivalent to path + way. Cognate with German Pfadweg, Afrikaans padweg.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.