thoroughfare
THUR-oh-fair
/ˈθɜːroʊfer/
A main road, highway, or public street open at both ends for through traffic.
Implies a primary, unobstructed route designed for continuous passage across or through a city or region.
The story behind the word. A Middle English compound created from thorough (meaning 'through') and fare (from Old English faran, 'to go or travel'). Literally translates to 'a going all the way through'—a path unobstructed from end to end.
Word relationships
- arterial road: 'Arterial road' is a civil engineering term, whereas 'thoroughfare' has a classic, general, and literary feel.
- avenue: 'Avenue' refers specifically to a wide city street, usually tree-lined or grand.
- cul-de-sac: A street or passage closed at one end; a dead end.
Commonly confused with
- concourse: A 'thoroughfare' is an open street for vehicular or pedestrian through travel; a 'concourse' is an indoor gathering area.
Collocations
- busy thoroughfare
- major thoroughfare
- public thoroughfare
- main thoroughfare
Idioms & expressions
- no thoroughfare (no passage through; dead end)
Example sentences
- "Fifth Avenue serves as a bustling arterial thoroughfare running through the heart of Manhattan." Urban geography description
- "Signs posted along the narrow alley clearly stated that it was not a public thoroughfare." Public safety signage
Memory hook
THOROUGH + FARE: You pay your fare to go THOROUGH-ly through from one end to the other. Travel through without a block.
When not to use
Do not use for dead-end streets (cul-de-sacs) or private pathways closed to public traffic.
Fun facts
- In old legal English, designating a road as a 'public thoroughfare' meant landowners could not legally erect gates or toll booths to block common travelers.
Related words
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