avenue

avenue — noun

1. a broad urban street, often with rows of trees, tall buildings, or shops on both

1.nounC1
Definition

a broad urban street, often with rows of trees, tall buildings, or shops on both sides, and very frequently used as part of an official street name.

Example

Jin rented a small apartment on Fifth Avenue, just above a busy flower shop.

on + Avenue (proper-noun street name)

Tall oak trees lined the avenue, throwing long shadows across the pavement.

trees lined the avenue (typical scene)

Common collocations
  • tree-lined avenue
  • wide avenue
  • leafy avenue
  • down the avenue
  • main avenue
Synonyms
  • boulevard

    wider, often with a central tree-lined strip; more grand than a typical avenue

  • street

    general term; lacks the suggestion of trees or grandness

  • thoroughfare

    formal; emphasises that traffic passes through

Antonyms
  • alley

    narrow back lane between buildings

  • lane

    narrower country or residential road

Grammar Patterns

Avenue + proper noun (street name)

on/along + Avenue

Usage Note

Often capitalised and abbreviated to 'Ave.' when used as part of a proper street name (e.g. 'Park Ave.'). Distinguish from sense 2, which refers specifically to a private drive leading up to a large house.

Common Mistakes

I live in Fifth Avenue.
I live on Fifth Avenue.
use 'on' (US) or 'in' (UK, less common) before a named avenue, but 'on' is the safer default.
a large avenue
a wide avenue' or 'a broad avenue
width, not size, is the natural collocation.

2. a private road, usually straight and bordered by trees, that runs from a gate up

2.nounC1
Definition

a private road, usually straight and bordered by trees, that runs from a gate up to a large country house or grand building.

Example

An avenue of beech trees led from the iron gates to the front door of the manor.

avenue of [tree type] led to [house]

The Carter family rode their horses up the long avenue toward the old country house.

up the avenue (toward grand building)

Common collocations
  • avenue of trees
  • long avenue
  • tree-lined avenue
  • private avenue
  • gravel avenue
Synonyms
  • driveway

    everyday term; usually shorter and not lined with trees

  • drive

    British; often used for the private road on a country estate

Grammar Patterns

avenue + leading to + house/building

Usage Note

Mostly British and chiefly literary. Frequently appears in the phrase 'avenue of [tree type]'. Distinguish from sense 1: this avenue is private and ends at a single grand house, not a public street with shops or apartments.

Common Mistakes

They built a small avenue from the cottage to the village.
They built a small path from the cottage to the village.
an avenue in this sense leads specifically to a grand or imposing house, not a humble cottage.

3. one of several possible methods or directions for reaching a goal or solving a p

3.nounC2
Definition

one of several possible methods or directions for reaching a goal or solving a problem — for example, a legal strategy, a funding source, or a diplomatic channel that someone might try.

Example

Before the trial, the lawyers explored every legal avenue to free their client.

explore + avenue (typical verb)

Greenfield University's online courses have opened up new avenues for working parents like Aisha to finish their degrees.

open up new avenues for + named group

Common collocations
  • explore every avenue
  • pursue an avenue
  • open up new avenues
  • close off an avenue
  • legal/political/diplomatic avenue
Synonyms
  • route

    more general; can be literal or figurative

  • path

    suggests a longer, step-by-step process

  • channel

    emphasises an established system or organisation

  • approach

    focuses on the method itself rather than the choice between options

Antonyms
  • dead end

    informal; a route that leads nowhere

Grammar Patterns

avenue of + noun

avenue for + noun/-ing

explore/pursue/open up + avenue

Usage Note

Strongly collocates with verbs of searching: 'explore', 'pursue', 'investigate', 'open up', 'close off'. Subject is typically an institution, professional, or person seeking a solution. Distinguish from sense 1 and 2: this is figurative — no real road is involved.

Common Mistakes

I tried the avenue of asking my boss.
I tried asking my boss.
for a single small action, just name it; reserve 'avenue' for one of several broader strategies under consideration.
an avenue to do something
an avenue for doing something
after 'avenue', use 'for + -ing' or 'of + noun', not bare 'to + verb'.
Idioms

explore every avenue

idiom

to try every possible method or course of action before giving up on something.

The detectives promised the family they would explore every avenue to find the missing girl.

Before closing the factory, the owners said they had explored every avenue to keep it open.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

All five words describe a way of reaching a goal, but they differ in scope and feel. 'Avenue' is formal and suggests one option among several broader strategies; it pairs naturally with verbs like 'explore' and 'pursue' ('the lawyers explored every avenue'). 'Route' is more neutral and can be literal as well as figurative ('the safest route to promotion'). 'Path' implies a longer, step-by-step journey ('a path to recovery'). 'Channel' emphasises an established system or organisation through which something flows ('proper diplomatic channels'). 'Approach' focuses on the method itself rather than on the choice between options ('a creative approach to teaching'). Choose 'avenue' when you want to suggest considered, deliberate consideration of several possible directions; choose 'channel' when the route is institutional rather than personal.

avenue ↗route ↗path ↗channel ↗approach ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • avenue of trees
  • avenue of approach
  • shopping avenue

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

  • on the avenue
  • down the avenue
  • along the avenue
  • avenue of
  • avenue for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Borrowed into English from French in the 1600s, where 'avenue' meant the act of arriving or an approach. The French word came from the Latin verb 'advenire', meaning 'to come to'. Early English use referred to a tree-lined approach leading up to a country house, and the word later widened to mean any broad city street. The figurative sense — a chosen way of reaching a goal — developed in the 1700s, drawing on the original idea of an approach.