ENGLISH
REFERENCE

underway

adj. · n.
US //ˌəndɝˈweɪ// UK //ˌʌndəwˈeɪ// un·der·way
  1. 1 in progress (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    already started and currently happening.

    currently in progress or being carried out. Often functions as a predicative adjective following the verb 'to be' or 'to get'.

    Example

    The construction project is finally underway after months of planning.

    Example

    Preparations for the international summit are already well underway, with security teams coordinating across several different jurisdictions.

    Usage

    Usually appears after the verb 'to be' or 'to get'; it is rarely used before a noun.
  2. 2 an underpass (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic

    a path or road that goes under another road or a railway line.

    a passage, such as a tunnel or underpass, that allows traffic or pedestrians to pass beneath an obstacle.

    Example

    The old underway allowed the villagers to cross beneath the busy tracks.

    Example

    The architectural plans included a narrow underway to facilitate pedestrian movement without disrupting the flow of the main thoroughfare.

    Teacher's tip

    This noun sense is very rare in modern English; 'underpass' or 'tunnel' is almost always preferred.
Etymology 1

Calque of Dutch onderweg (“underway”), equivalent to under- + way. Compare also German unterwegs.

Etymology 2

From under + way.

Word family

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