railway

noun

rail·​way ˈrāl-ˌwā How to pronounce railway (audio)
: railroad
especially : a railroad operating with light equipment or within a small area

Examples of railway in a Sentence

a system of railways that crisscrosses the whole nation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The water has washed away roads and railways, flooding homes and businesses, leaving people standing on car roofs or searching for higher ground in buildings. Marina Watts, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Last year, the Czech Republic’s railway system was hacked and disrupted. Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2024 Deadly tanker accidents are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, which lacks an efficient railway system to transport cargo. Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024 Parts of the Gyeongui line on the West coast and Donghae line on the East coast, two major road and railway links connecting the North and South, were destroyed by explosives at around 12 p.m. Korean local time, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for railway 

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of railway was in 1681

Dictionary Entries Near railway

Cite this Entry

“Railway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/railway. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

railway

noun
rail·​way ˈrā(ə)l-ˌwā How to pronounce railway (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on railway

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!