gateway

noun

gate·​way ˈgāt-ˌwā How to pronounce gateway (audio)
Synonyms of gatewaynext
1
: an opening for a gate
2
: gate sense 4a

Synonyms of gateway

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of gateway in a Sentence

Mourners slowly passed though the gateway of the cemetery. hopefully, my college degree will be a gateway to a high-paying job
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 Gulf is an attractive destination as a gateway market to the Global South as well as a place to draw capital, Alwadi said in an interview. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026 The work stoppage forced the Germany gateways to suspend container terminal operations. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026 Hop off the train in Truckee, California, the gateway to the Lake Tahoe region, which transforms into a wonderland of colorful foliage come October. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 And Bertolucci’s connections to directors like Luchino Visconti, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Jean-Luc Godard served as my gateway to Italian and French cinema in general. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gateway

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gateway was in 1707

Phrases Containing gateway

Rhymes for gateway

See All Rhymes for gateway

Browse Nearby Words

gatewards
gateway
gateway drug
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gateway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gateway. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

gateway

noun
gate·​way -ˌwā How to pronounce gateway (audio)
1
: an opening for a gate
2
: a passage into or out of a place or state
knowledge is the gateway to wisdom
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All