route

route — noun

1. a planned way between two locations, such as a road, path, or set of directions

1.nounB1
Definition

a planned way between two locations, such as a road, path, or set of directions you follow on a trip

Example

Kian checked the map for the shortest route to the train station.

route + to + [destination]

The bus route through the old town passes right by the market square every hour.

on/along a route (established service)

Common collocations
  • short route
  • direct route
  • scenic route
  • escape route
  • supply route
  • trade route
Synonyms
  • path

    narrower; usually a walkway rather than a road or planned travel line

  • way

    more general; used in both concrete and abstract contexts without a fixed course

  • course

    suggests a pre-planned line of movement, often used for boats, planes, or time

  • road

    specifically a hard surface built for vehicles, not necessarily connecting two points as a planned route

Grammar Patterns

route + from/to/through/across

take/follow + route

on the + route

Usage Note

Commonly paired with prepositions like to, from, through, or across to specify the origin, destination, or intermediate path.

Common Mistakes

The road is the shortest route for the city.
The road is the shortest route to the city.
use 'route to' for destination, not 'route for'.

2. a series of actions or choices that lead from a current situation to a particula

2.nounB2
Definition

a series of actions or choices that lead from a current situation to a particular result — for example, working hard as a route to promotion, or negotiation as a route to peace

Example

Getting a good education is still the most reliable route to a better job.

route to + [abstract goal]

The company is exploring several routes to reduce its energy costs next year.

Common collocations
  • route to recovery
  • fastest route
  • alternative route
  • route to success
Synonyms
  • path

    stronger metaphorical use; 'path to happiness' suggests a personal journey

  • method

    focuses on the step-by-step procedure rather than the overall direction

  • means

    more neutral; 'a means of achieving something' without the journey metaphor

Grammar Patterns

route to + [goal]

the best/quickest/only route

a route to success/peace

Usage Note

Object of the preposition to is often a gerund (-ing form) or a goal noun such as success, peace, recovery. Unlike sense 1, the route here is not a physical path.

Common Mistakes

Exercise is a good route of losing weight.
Exercise is a good route to losing weight.
abstract goals take 'route to', not 'route of'.

3. a fixed series of stops that a person makes at regular times to deliver items, c

3.nounB2
Definition

a fixed series of stops that a person makes at regular times to deliver items, collect payments, or carry out a service

Example

Baraka's postal route covers over a hundred houses in the suburbs.

possessive + route (job assignment)

The milkman used to start his route before dawn every single morning.

Common collocations
  • delivery route
  • postal route
  • paper route
  • milk route
  • newspaper route
Synonyms
  • round

    common in British English; 'the doctor's rounds' suggests visiting patients

  • circuit

    implies a loop that returns to the starting point

  • beat

    used for security guards or police officers on a fixed area

Grammar Patterns

on + possessive + route

delivery/milk/newspaper + route

Usage Note

Often used with a possessive (his route, her route) or in compound nouns (delivery route, postal route, paper route). Subject is typically a worker who visits customers.

Common Mistakes

The bus route stops at every corner.' (ambiguous — could be sense 1).
The driver's route includes thirty apartment buildings.
use a possessive or worker role to clarify this sense.

4. a word used before a number when naming major American highways; for example, Ro

4.nounB1
Definition

a word used before a number when naming major American highways; for example, Route 66 or Route 1

Example

Route 66 was one of the first major highways built across the United States.

Route + number (US highway naming)

Paul took Route 95 north to reach Boston before the rush hour traffic started.

Common collocations
  • Route 66
  • Route 1
  • Route 95
Synonyms
  • highway

    general term for a main road; 'Highway 101' follows the same naming pattern

  • freeway

    a high-speed, controlled-access road; 'Freeway 405' in California

Grammar Patterns

Route + [number]

Usage Note

Always capitalised when used as part of a road name. The number follows 'Route' without 'the' (e.g., 'Route 66' not 'The Route 66'). Common in American English but rare in other varieties.

Common Mistakes

I live on the Route 9.
I live on Route 9.
no article 'the' before Route + number.

route — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Route, path, way, course, and road all refer to a line of travel between points, but each has a distinct feel. A route is a planned or established connection between two places — you follow a map along a route. A path is usually a narrow trail meant for walking, often through natural scenery. Way is the most flexible word, usable in concrete contexts ('the way home') and abstract ones ('the best way to cook rice'). A course is a formal, often pre-determined line of movement, such as a ship's course at sea or a golf course. Road is exclusively a hard, constructed surface for vehicles. For everyday travel, 'route' is best when you have planned stops or a specific itinerary: 'The bus route goes through the old town.' 'Road' is for physical driving surfaces: 'The road needs repairs.' 'Path' works for foot travel: 'A narrow path leads up the hill.'

route ↗path ↗way ↗course ↗road ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • on the route
  • along the route
  • off the route
  • change route
  • plan a route

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Route entered English from Old French 'rute' meaning 'road' or 'way'. The French word came from Latin 'rupta via' — literally 'a broken way' — which referred to a road cut through forests or fields. 'Rupta' is the past participle of 'rumpere' (to break), which also gives English words like 'rupture' and 'erupt'. So a route is, at its root, a path made by breaking open a trail through the landscape.