two-way

adjective

ˈtü-ˈwā 

1

: moving or allowing movement in either direction

a two-way bridge

2

a

: involving or allowing an exchange between two individuals or groups

there must be good two-way communication

—Jerrold Orne

especially : designed for both sending and receiving messages

two-way radio

b

: involving mutual responsibility or reciprocal relationships

political alliance is a two-way thing

—T. H. White †1986

3

a

: involving two participants

a two-way race

b

sports : playing on both the offensive and defensive squads of a team (as in American football)

Frost, a throwback to the era of two-way players, is the Cardinal's starting free safety and backup quarterback.

—The New York Times

also : playing both offense and defense well

a basketball forward who's a talented two-way player

4

: usable in either of two manners

a two-way lamp

5

: being a cock or valve that will connect a pipe or channel with either of two others

Examples of two-way in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The vice president was up more than five points in both two-way (52.6% to 47.4%) and five-way (49.5% to 44%) matchups with third-party candidates on the ballot, according to an Outward Intelligence survey of 2,191 likely voters taken Aug. 25-29. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024

In North Carolina and Michigan, Trump polls better in a two-way race against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris than in a six-candidate race, according to polling averages from RealClearPolling. —Josephine Rozzelle, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2024

The battery can be recharged with a simple USB-C cord plugged directly into the drone, eliminating the need to carry a charger, although the Combo pack includes a two-way charging hub that can charge three batteries simultaneously in about an hour. —New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2024

In Oakland, the grid needed an upgrade to accommodate these two-way chargers and the 2.7 megawatts required to charge the fleet of buses. —Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

two-way

adjective

1

: moving or acting or allowing movement or action in either direction

two-way traffic

a two-way street

2

a

: involving two persons or groups

communication is a two-way process

b

: made to send and receive messages

a two-way radio