path

1 of 3

noun

ˈpath How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpäth
plural paths ˈpat͟hz How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpaths,
ˈpät͟hz,
ˈpäths How to pronounce path (audio)
1
: a trodden way
a winding path through the woods
2
: a track specially constructed for a particular use
a garden path of flagstones
3
a
: course, route
the path of a meteor
b
: a way of life, conduct, or thought
decided on a career path in medicine
4
a
: the continuous series of positions or configurations that can be assumed in any motion or process of change by a moving or varying system
b
: a sequence of arcs in a network that can be traced continuously without retracing any arc
5
: pathway sense 2
the optic path from the retina to the cerebral cortex

path

2 of 3

abbreviation

variants or pathol

-path

3 of 3

noun combining form

1
: practitioner of a (specified) system of medicine that emphasizes one aspect of disease or its treatment
naturopath
2
a
: one suffering from a disorder (of such a part or system)
psychopath
b
: one perceiving
telepath

Examples of path in a Sentence

Noun We followed a winding path through the woods. The path led down the hill. The car skidded into the path of an oncoming truck. The fire destroyed everything in its path. The cars moved aside to clear a path for the ambulance. He tried to leave but one of the guards blocked his path. They are heading down a dangerous path that could lead to war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Honen-in Across town, in the Higashiyama district, the Philosopher’s Walk is a pedestrian path along the picturesque Lake Biwa Canal. Paula Deitz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024 The $95 billion supplemental funding package that passed the Senate in February has stagnated for months in the House as Johnson has debated a path forward. Jaala Brown, Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024 Before long, an overtly fascist military leader crosses paths with the family and not only steals their fancy dessert, but secretly threatens to plunge the world into war — two consequences the movie treats with equal weight and urgency. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024 Washington State and Oregon State would prefer that another round of realignment creates a path into the ACC or Big 12 or some larger combination of those two conferences. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024 Cameron Knight The Colerain High School student accused of assaulting his teacher is scheduled to appear in court Friday on a path to be potentially tried as an adult. The Enquirer, 19 Apr. 2024 For cyclists, miles of trails sprawl across glassy plains providing the perfect path to ride for hours. Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024 The eclipse on Monday covered hundreds of cities and towns in a 115-mile-wide path of totality across 13 states in the United States, temporarily leaving communities in darkness. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024 Millions more, across a much wider area on either side of the path of totality, witnessed a memorable partial eclipse. Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'path.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English pæth; akin to Old High German pfad path

Noun combining form

borrowed from Greek -pathēs "experiencing, undergoing or suffering (as designated by the initial element)," adjectival derivative from páthos "experience, misfortune, emotion" — more at pathos

Note: The agentive meaning of sense 1 is based on loans from German or French (as German Homöopath, French homéopathe homeopath) that appear to be back-formations from abstract nouns ending in -ie (as German Homöopathie, French homéopathie homeopathy—cf. -pathy).

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of path was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near path

Cite this Entry

“Path.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/path. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

path

noun
ˈpath,
ˈpȧth
plural paths
ˈpat͟hz,
ˈpaths,
ˈpȧt͟hz,
ˈpȧths
1
a
: a track made by foot travel
b
: a track constructed for a particular use (as horseback riding)
2
a
: the way along which something moves : course
b
: a way of life, conduct, or thought
pathless
-ləs
adjective

Medical Definition

path

1 of 2 noun
plural paths ˈpat͟hz How to pronounce path (audio) ˈpaths How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpȧt͟hz,
ˈpȧths
1
: the way or route traversed by something
the sweat glands are the chief paths by which water reaches the surface of the skinMorris Fishbein
2

path

2 of 2 abbreviation

More from Merriam-Webster on path

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