runway
noun
Simple meaning
A strip of level paved surface where planes can take off and land.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ruhnwaySay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɹʌnweɪ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
aviation
A strip of level paved surface where planes can take off and land
A narrow platform extending from the stage into the audience in a theater or nightclub etc.
A narrow walkway (often on a platform) extending from a stage on which people walk, especially one used by models during fashion shows.
A defined, narrow section of land or an artificial structure used for access.
aviation
A section of land, usually paved, for airplanes to land on or take off from.
athletics
In javelin, long jump, and similar events: a short track along which athletes can accelerate themselves for their jumps or throws.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A strip of level paved surface where planes can take off and land
Used this way, runway is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use runway
- “Airplanes use the long runway for taking off and landing safely.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.