thoroughfare

[thur-oh-fair, -uh-fair, thuhr-]

noun

1. a road, street, or the like, that leads at each end into another street.

2. a major road or highway.

3. a passage or way through.

   no thoroughfare.

4. a strait, river, or the like, affording passage.

thoroughfare

/ ˈθʌrəˌfɛə /

noun

1. a road from one place to another, esp a main road

2. way through or access

   no thoroughfare

Word History and Origins

Origin of thoroughfare¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, thoroughfare is from the Middle English word thurghfare. See thorough, fare

Example Sentences

The signage signaling the museum’s presence along one of Pasadena’s busiest thoroughfares was underwhelming and easy to miss, and the landscaping along Colorado Boulevard was overgrown and wide open.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It’s bisected by La Cienega Boulevard, a thoroughfare that carries six lanes of high-speed traffic through the gritty landscape of the oil field, which feels like a relic of old L.A.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In the turquoise waters of the South China Sea, one country is challenging Beijing’s grip on one of the world’s most important maritime thoroughfares.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The thieves carried out the heist in broad daylight, parking the lift-mounted truck right at the foot of the Louvre as traffic buzzed by on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. military has worked with allies in the region to preserve freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which is a thoroughfare for about one-third of global maritime trade.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• artery 
• avenue 
• boulevard 
• causeway 
• expressway 
• freeway 
• highway 
• lane 
• street 
• waterway