ENGLISH
REFERENCE

beltway

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈbɛɫtˌweɪ// UK //bˈɛltweɪ// belt·way

n. a major highway or a group of highways that form a loop around a large city. It is also used to describe the people who work in a specific area, like politics.

n. a major highway or a system of highways forming a loop around a large urban area. In a figurative sense, it refers to the group of people who work in a specific industry or political environment.


SIMPLE

The traffic on the beltway is always heavy during rush hour.

CONTEXTUAL

Commuters often take the beltway to avoid the congestion of the city center during the morning commute.

COMPLEX

The candidate's campaign struggled to gain traction outside the beltway, as her message resonated more with urban voters than with the suburban electorate.

Synonyms
Origin

From belt + way.

© 2026 English Reference