Meaning & use
path
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Meanings
nouncountable
A narrow strip of ground worn or made for people to walk along.
Grammar: Counted noun: a path, paths.
Patterns
- a path through something
- a path to something
A muddy path led down to the lake.
We followed the path through the woods.
He cleared the snow from the garden path.
nouncountable
The line along which something moves or travels.
Grammar: Often with 'of': the path of the storm.
Patterns
- the path of something
Residents were told to leave the path of the hurricane.
The planet's path around the sun is slightly oval.
A fallen tree blocked the path of the bus.
nouncountablefigurative
A course of action or way of life that leads toward a result.
Grammar: Figurative sense: a career path.
Patterns
- the path to something
- a path toward something
She chose a career path in nursing.
The talks may open a path to peace.
Education set him on a new path in life.
nouncountablecomputing
The location of a file or folder in a computer system, written as a series of names.
Grammar: Computing term: the file path.
Patterns
- the path to something
Type the full path to the folder in the box.
The error says the path could not be found.
Copy the file path before you close the window.
Word forms
| plural | paths |
|---|
Common combinations
- follow a path
- We followed the path up the hill.
- career path
- He wants a career path with room to grow.
- cross paths
- We crossed paths at the conference.
- clear a path
- Volunteers cleared a path through the snow.
- beaten path
- The hotel is off the beaten path.
- blaze a path
- She blazed a path for women in science.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trail
- Trail suggests a longer, rougher route in the countryside, while path can be paved or short.
- track
- Track is a rougher, narrower route and may also mean the marks left behind.
- route
- Route is the planned way to travel between places, not necessarily a physical path.
- course
- Course often means the direction something follows over time, such as the course of events.
Word family
- pathway noun
- a path or a series of steps toward something
- footpath noun
- a path for walkers
- pathfinder noun
- a person who finds new routes
- pathless adjective
- having no path
Commonly confused: path or pass? path or paths?
path vs pass
A pass is a gap through mountains, whereas a path is a way for walking.
path vs paths
The plural paths ends in a th sound, unlike the singular with a different vowel in US English.
Practice
A fallen tree blocked the ___ through the forest.
Choose one answer.
A path is a narrow way to walk along. A pass is a mountain gap, a peak is a summit, and a patch is a small area.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “path”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.