English Reference
noun

corridor

n.
US /ˈkɔɹədɝ/ UK /kˈɒɹɪdˌɔː/ cor·ri·dor UK spelling corridor's, corridor's

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    a long, narrow passage in a building with doors that lead into different rooms.

    a narrow interior passage in a building or ship providing access to separate rooms or compartments.

    Simple

    She walked down the long corridor to find the doctor's office.

    In context

    The hospital corridor was lined with plastic chairs and smelled faintly of antiseptic and industrial floor cleaner.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'down' to indicate movement along its length.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    a narrow strip of land that connects two places or follows a road or river.

    a narrow tract of land that allows passage between two territories or follows a major transport route.

    Simple

    The government is planning to build new houses along the rail corridor.

    In context

    The diplomatic corridor provided a vital link between the landlocked nation and the nearest international seaport.

    Usage

    Commonly used in political or environmental contexts, such as 'wildlife corridor'.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical

    a specific path in the sky that planes must stay in while flying.

    a restricted or designated route in the atmosphere for the passage of aircraft.

    Simple

    The pilot was told to stay within the narrow flight corridor for safety.

    In context

    International observers monitored the humanitarian corridor to ensure that aid flights could reach the besieged city without being targeted.

    Usage

    Usually refers to military or highly regulated civilian flight paths.

    airwayflight path

At the Moscow offices of newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the corridors are silent.

BBC News· 13 Aug 2026

Tomato farms are found in the Kimana area, which is part of a corridor between Amboseli National Park and the Tsavo National Park in southern Kenya.

BBC News· 24 Aug 2026

Borrowed from French corridor, from Italian corridore (“long passage”) (= corridoio), from correre (“to run”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Italian corridore
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated