# ring road

CEFR B1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ring-road
Updated: 2026-07-28

## Definition

a road that goes in a circle all the way around a city. You use it to avoid traffic in the city center.

For teachers: a major road encircling a town or city, designed to bypass the urban center and reduce inner-city traffic congestion.

## Examples

- We took the ring road to avoid the busy city center.
- The city council plans to expand the ring road to alleviate bottle-necks occurring at the major eastern junctions.
- In many European capitals, the ring road serves as a physical boundary between the historic core and the rapidly developing industrial suburbs.

## Usage notes

- Common in British English; frequently referred to as a 'beltway' in American English.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.