Word
broadway
Phoneticsbroad·way
/ˈbɹɔdˌweɪ/
Definition
n. a famous street in New York City known for its many large theaters. People use the name to talk about professional plays and musicals performed there.
n. a major thoroughfare in New York City, synonymous with the professional American theater industry. Often used metonymically to refer to the high-budget theatrical productions staged in the district.
Examples
“We are going to see a musical on Broadway tonight.”
“Many aspiring actors move to New York with the dream of landing a leading role on Broadway.”
“The transition from regional theater to Broadway represents a significant leap in both production scale and commercial pressure, as the high cost of real estate demands consistent ticket sales.”
Examples
simple
“We are going to see a musical on Broadway tonight.”
contextual
“Many aspiring actors move to New York with the dream of landing a leading role on Broadway.”
complex
“The transition from regional theater to Broadway represents a significant leap in both production scale and commercial pressure, as the high cost of real estate demands consistent ticket sales.”
Usage
When referring to the theater industry, it is used without an article ('on Broadway').
Pitfall
I saw a play in the Broadway
I saw a play on Broadway
Broadway is a proper noun used as a location; it does not take a definite article and usually takes the preposition 'on'.
Etymology
By surface analysis, a proprialization from broadway. The Old English words "brad weg" have been used to name wide roads and associated settlements, in common noun and proper noun forms, for over a thousand years. Documented examples include Broadway, Somerset and Broadway, Worcestershire, England, which are listed in the Domesday Book census of 1086AD as "Bradewie" and "Bradeweia" respectively. Sense of “government of Manitoba” is from the address of the Manitoba Legislative Building, on Broadway in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/broadway