Amtrak

American

[am-trak] / ˈæmˌtræk /

noun

a government-subsidized public corporation created by Congress in 1970 to operate a national intercity passenger railroad system through contracts with existing railroads.

Etymology

Origin of Amtrak

Am(erican) tra(vel on trac)k

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I took Amtrak from Oakland to Boston and back.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

Whether you’re settled into an armchair or considering your own journey on Amtrak, Canada’s VIA Rail or the ritzy Rocky Mountaineer, here are some of our favorites.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

To service the new trains, Amtrak is upgrading its maintenance facilities for around $4 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

More than 18,000 unionized Amtrak workers will each get a $900 bonus this holiday season, funded by managers who agreed to give up half of their bonus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

The back of their cage nearly abutted the train tracks, and on the tracks directly behind them stood an Amtrak train engine.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023