traffic light

noun

: a visual signal (such as a system of colored lights) for controlling traffic

Examples of traffic light in a Sentence

Take a left at the traffic light.
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.
On Chinese social media, users complained about how the system failed to recognize traffic lights or change lanes properly. Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Here, traffic optimization isn’t just a single system’s job; fleets of autonomous vehicles, interconnected traffic lights, and predictive analytics engines work as coordinated agents, dynamically rerouting vehicles and minimizing congestion. Cathy Hackl, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025 All city intersections with traffic lights would have the audible crossing signals by the end of 2040. Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025 That goes double for Pike and Rhys, bathed in the dim glow of the dashboard and GPS, the red of the traffic lights or the amber of the streetlamps. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for traffic light

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traffic light was in 1912

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Traffic light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20light. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

traffic light

noun
: a visual signal (as a system of green, yellow, and red lights) for controlling traffic

More from Merriam-Webster on traffic light

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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