path

1 of 3

noun

ˈpath How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpäth
plural paths ˈpat͟hz How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpaths,
ˈpät͟hz,
ˈpäths How to pronounce path (audio)
1
: a trodden way
a winding path through the woods
2
: a track specially constructed for a particular use
a garden path of flagstones
3
a
: course, route
the path of a meteor
b
: a way of life, conduct, or thought
decided on a career path in medicine
4
a
: the continuous series of positions or configurations that can be assumed in any motion or process of change by a moving or varying system
b
: a sequence of arcs in a network that can be traced continuously without retracing any arc
5
: pathway sense 2
the optic path from the retina to the cerebral cortex

path

2 of 3

abbreviation

variants or pathol

-path

3 of 3

noun combining form

1
: practitioner of a (specified) system of medicine that emphasizes one aspect of disease or its treatment
naturopath
2
a
: one suffering from a disorder (of such a part or system)
psychopath
b
: one perceiving
telepath

Examples of path in a Sentence

Noun We followed a winding path through the woods. The path led down the hill. The car skidded into the path of an oncoming truck. The fire destroyed everything in its path. The cars moved aside to clear a path for the ambulance. He tried to leave but one of the guards blocked his path. They are heading down a dangerous path that could lead to war.
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.
Noun
Refuse to let outside influences steer you down the wrong path. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024 Surprisingly, two of the three rats chose to take the less efficient path of turning away from the reward and running to the car to drive to their Froot Loop destination. Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024 The telescope had been used to track asteroids on a path to Earth, conduct research that led to a Nobel Prize and determine whether a planet was potentially habitable. Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 Set in 1990s Kentucky, Shelly’s story is a reminder of how far women doctors have come and the hard path of those who preceded them. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for path 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English pæth; akin to Old High German pfad path

Noun combining form

borrowed from Greek -pathēs "experiencing, undergoing or suffering (as designated by the initial element)," adjectival derivative from páthos "experience, misfortune, emotion" — more at pathos

Note: The agentive meaning of sense 1 is based on loans from German or French (as German Homöopath, French homéopathe homeopath) that appear to be back-formations from abstract nouns ending in -ie (as German Homöopathie, French homéopathie homeopathy—cf. -pathy).

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of path was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near path

Cite this Entry

“Path.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/path. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

path

noun
ˈpath,
ˈpȧth
plural paths
ˈpat͟hz,
ˈpaths,
ˈpȧt͟hz,
ˈpȧths
1
a
: a track made by foot travel
b
: a track constructed for a particular use (as horseback riding)
2
a
: the way along which something moves : course
b
: a way of life, conduct, or thought
pathless
-ləs
adjective

Medical Definition

path

1 of 2 noun
plural paths ˈpat͟hz How to pronounce path (audio) ˈpaths How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpȧt͟hz,
ˈpȧths
1
: the way or route traversed by something
the sweat glands are the chief paths by which water reaches the surface of the skinMorris Fishbein
2

path

2 of 2 abbreviation

More from Merriam-Webster on path

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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