right of way

or right-of-way

noun

, plural rights of way, right of ways.

1. a common law or statutory right granted to a vehicle, as an airplane or boat, to proceed ahead of another.
2. a path or route that may lawfully be used.
3. a right of passage, as over another's land.
4. the strip of land acquired for use by a railroad for tracks.
5. land covered by a public road.
6. land over which a power line passes.
7. Fencing. the right to attack or continue an attack, and thus to be credited with a hit, by virtue of having first extended the sword arm or having parried the opponent's attack.

right of way

noun

1. the right of one vehicle or vessel to take precedence over another, as laid down by law or custom
2. 1. the legal right of someone to pass over another's land, acquired by grant or by long usage
   2. the path or road used by this right
3. the strip of land over which a power line, railway line, road, etc, extends

Word History and Origins

Origin of right of way¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

They looked down and gave the snake the right of way.

From Los Angeles Times

The government has set a deadline of 2031 for all rights of way in England and Wales to be added to an official map.

From BBC

"The stepping stones are a public right of way leading out into the open countryside of the Peak District," they said.

From BBC

An online map points to urban fruit trees ripe for the picking, some of which are growing on private property but hanging into the public right of way.

From Los Angeles Times

You also need to have “right of way” which, if you’re new to fencing, is a concept best left to the referee, who decides which fencer has attacking priority at any given time.

From BBC