footpath

noun

foot·​path ˈfu̇t-ˌpath How to pronounce footpath (audio)
-ˌpäth
: a narrow path for pedestrians

Examples of footpath in a Sentence

a footpath winding through the garden found the footpath leading down into the valley
Recent Examples on the Web The street wasn’t well lit, and the hostel reared up so suddenly from the footpath and was so tall and bright that walking past it in the dark felt a little like being in a tugboat bumping along the edge of an ocean liner. Fiona McFarlane, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Other fans have shared details about how to get to Drayton House on social media, encouraging others to seek it out via the public footpath that runs through Sackville’s estate. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 Many fans have reportedly strayed off the public footpath, leading the wonders to enlist security to patrol around the house. Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Feb. 2024 Just last month, TikTok user Rhian Williams shared two videos filming herself visiting the 700-year-old property, which in reality is called Drayton House, via a public footpath that runs alongside it. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 Hike the King’s Trail, which was originally built as a footpath for royalty, to see coastal views, burial mounds, and black rock coves. Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2023 Or follow footpaths to remote swimming holes like Plakes, with flat limestone rock formations for sunbathing. St George’s Island Cruise over to the tiny islet of St George, whose rocky coastline is ideal for snorkeling. Rachel Howard, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Feb. 2024 The game is all about building connections via footpaths, roads, zip lines and other modes of transportation. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2024 Local Facebook groups are rarely a source of profound ecological insights, but this minor furor over a local footpath gets at something crucial in the fight against climate change. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 29 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'footpath.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of footpath was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near footpath

Cite this Entry

“Footpath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footpath. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

footpath

noun
foot·​path -ˌpath How to pronounce footpath (audio)
-ˌpȧth
: a narrow path for pedestrians

More from Merriam-Webster on footpath

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!