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Glite Dictionary
state highway

state highway

5 2.7
A major road the state government keeps for fast travel between towns
  • noun
  • /steɪt ˈhaɪweɪ/
translation icon : carretera estatal
  • Next, imagine you are a federal immigration agent driving on a state highway.
  • state highway departments

Examples

  • That's almost 10 percent of the state highway system.

    Blog text (34)

  • Not too far in front of you is a turnoff onto state highway.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • We're on a state highway.

    Boxcar Bertha (1972)

  • Somewhere out on the state highway.

    Bringing Up Baby (1938)

  • Our house was on a corner where the state highway turned east toward the mine.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • How prevalent are battery charging stations on state highways across the US?

    Blog text (29)

  • The governor lifted the travel ban on state highways, but asked all non-essential state workers to stay home.

    Blog text (14)

  • There will be rolling closures on the state highways once the riders leave downtown Durango.

    Blog text (20)

  • Gov. Malloy ordered the closure of all state highways across Connecticut in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy's arrival.

    Blog text (15)

  • The sign indicates that the speed limit on the state highway is 65 miles per hour.

Synonyms

highway
vsstate highway
629 1.0

A main road that connects big towns or cities for long trips

is specifically maintained by a state for high-speed traffic
freeway
vsstate highway
  • US
275 2.2

A wide road for fast traffic with no intersections or traffic lights

highlights state maintenance and official road status rather than intersection rules
expressway
vsstate highway
  • US
43 2.8

A wide road for fast traffic with few places to enter or exit

is about state responsibility and formal road status rather than limited access
pike
vsstate highway
  • Archaic
9 9.9

A wide highway for fast traffic that often has tolls

is the contemporary state-operated major road rather than an old toll way
motorway
vsstate highway
  • UK
9 1.8

A wide road built for fast traffic with two or more lanes each way and few exits

focuses on state ownership and major status rather than access design
thruway
vsstate highway
  • US
5 4.1

A wide road for fast traffic with few places to enter or leave

is defined by state maintenance and major public role rather than access frequency
superhighway
vsstate highway
5 3.5

A very wide road with many lanes for fast traffic

is a state-maintained major road that may not be exceptionally wide
throughway
vsstate highway
  • US
2 4.1

A wide road that lets cars and trucks travel fast without stoplights or intersections

is the state-managed major route, not defined solely by uninterrupted travel
hwy
vsstate highway
  • US
1 6.7

A main road that connects cities or towns

is the full state-run road meant for faster, official travel
highroad
vsstate highway
  • UK
3.0

A main road used by many cars to travel between places

is the officially state-operated major road designed for higher speeds

Surface Forms

state highway singular
state highways plural

Morphology

state + highway

The meaning is directly compositional: 'state' specifies the governmental jurisdiction and 'highway' denotes a major road, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a road maintained by the state for long-distance/high-speed travel. This compound follows common cross-linguistic patterns (e.g., 'carretera estatal', 'carretera estatal', 'devlet yolu'), making the sense transparent and predictable.

Etymology

State highway is a name for a big road the state looks after. Here, state means the 'state government' and highway means a 'main road' for fast travel, so the phrase shows it is a major road run by the state.