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Glite Dictionary
interstate highway

interstate highway

15 3.2
A major road that connects cities in different US states
  • noun
  • /ˈɪntərˌsteɪt ˈhaɪweɪ/
  • US
: autopista interestatal (EE. UU.)
  • Forty-two units are currently being installed on a new 18-mile stretch of Interstate highway in Southern California.
  • interstate highway system
  • interstate highway miles

Maybe the Rozzy people know, you know why Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System?

Examples

  • Driving on any interstate highway in the U.S. today, one can observe people texting while driving.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Counties without large central places or access to interstate highways continued to lose population.

    Academic text (1991)

  • In addition, Chicago has more main line interstate highways going through it than any other American city.

    Blog text (30)

  • The reason they call them "interstate" highways is because they run between states.

    Blog text (18)

  • An estimated one in six vehicles on the region's interstate highways are trucks.

    Blog text (30)

  • Infrastructure investments in our interstate highway system or our railroads reduce transaction costs in the economy.

    Blog text (24)

  • To reach Louisville that night, he uncharacteristically stuck to Interstate highways because the distance was long and daylight was growing short.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Massachusetts has 3,213 miles of interstate highway, and Interstate 93 takes up 1.9% of the state's interstate inventory.

    Academic text (2016)

  • The new interstate highway connects major cities across several states.

  • Traveling along the interstate highway, we stopped at various rest areas.

Synonyms

highway
vsinterstate highway
751 1.0

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

is specifically a national network route that links major cities across states
freeway
vsinterstate highway
  • US
204 2.2

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

is part of the national network and crosses state borders regularly
interstate
vsinterstate highway
  • US
124 3.0

A major road that connects large cities in different states

is the same but emphasises crossing state boundaries as part of a national network
expressway
vsinterstate highway
  • US
38 2.8

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

is part of the national system linking major cities across states
hwy
vsinterstate highway
  • US
10 6.7

A main road that connects cities or towns

is the full national system route crossing state borders rather than an abbreviation
motorway
vsinterstate highway
  • UK
8 1.8

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

is a national route connecting cities and crossing state boundaries
thruway
vsinterstate highway
  • US
5 4.1

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

is part of a US-wide network connecting major cities across states

Surface Forms

interstate highway singular
interstate highways plural

Morphology

interstate + highway

The meaning 'a major road linking states' is directly and transparently composed from 'interstate' (between or involving states) + 'highway' (a long-distance road). This is a regular adjective+noun combination that follows standard English composition patterns and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The term interstate highway comes from two words: interstate (meaning 'between states') and highway (a 'main road'). The picture of a long road that goes from one state to another explains why it means a major road linking states and cities.