path

1 of 3

noun

ˈpath How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpäth
plural paths ˈpat͟hz How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpaths, 
ˈpät͟hz, 
ˈpäths How to pronounce path (audio)
Synonyms of pathnext
1
: a trodden way
a winding path through the woods
2
: a track specially constructed for a particular use
a garden path of flagstones
3
a
: course, route
the path of a meteor
b
: a way of life, conduct, or thought
decided on a career path in medicine
4
a
: the continuous series of positions or configurations that can be assumed in any motion or process of change by a moving or varying system
b
: a sequence of arcs in a network that can be traced continuously without retracing any arc
5
: pathway sense 2
the optic path from the retina to the cerebral cortex

path

2 of 3

abbreviation

variants or pathol
pathological; pathology

-path

3 of 3

noun combining form

1
: practitioner of a (specified) system of medicine that emphasizes one aspect of disease or its treatment
naturopath
2
a
: one suffering from a disorder (of such a part or system)
psychopath
b
: one perceiving
telepath

Synonyms of path

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of path in a Sentence

Noun We followed a winding path through the woods. The path led down the hill. The car skidded into the path of an oncoming truck. The fire destroyed everything in its path. The cars moved aside to clear a path for the ambulance. He tried to leave but one of the guards blocked his path. They are heading down a dangerous path that could lead to war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Mark McCrindle, a social researcher and principal in McCrindle Research who is credited with coining the Gen Alpha and Gen Beta terms, said the next generation won’t follow the path of Gen Alpha counterparts. — Faye Brookman, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026 Below me a narrow path winds through muddy rice paddies like a snake and disappears into a horizon blanketed by dense fog. — Marisol Delarosa, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026 That testimony was in contrast to David Breaux's sister, who is finding a path toward forgiveness after Dominguez killed her brother. — Steve Large, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Debt hawks have been warning policymakers for some time that the nation’s fiscal path is unsustainable, and the issue is increasingly rising up voters’ agendas in the run-up to midterms later this year. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for path

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English pæth; akin to Old High German pfad path

Noun combining form

borrowed from Greek -pathēs "experiencing, undergoing or suffering (as designated by the initial element)," adjectival derivative from páthos "experience, misfortune, emotion" — more at pathos

Note: The agentive meaning of sense 1 is based on loans from German or French (as German Homöopath, French homéopathe homeopath) that appear to be back-formations from abstract nouns ending in -ie (as German Homöopathie, French homéopathie homeopathy—cf. -pathy).

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of path was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing path

Rhymes for path

See All Rhymes for path

Browse Nearby Words

patetico
path
-path
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Path.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/path. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

path

noun
ˈpath, 
ˈpȧth
plural paths
ˈpat͟hz, 
ˈpaths, 
ˈpȧt͟hz, 
ˈpȧths
1
a
: a track made by foot travel
b
: a track constructed for a particular use (as horseback riding)
2
a
: the way along which something moves : course
b
: a way of life, conduct, or thought
pathless
-ləs
adjective

Medical Definition

path

1 of 2 noun
ˈpath, ˈpȧth How to pronounce path (audio)
plural paths ˈpat͟hz How to pronounce path (audio) ˈpaths How to pronounce path (audio)
ˈpȧt͟hz, 
ˈpȧths
1
: the way or route traversed by something
the sweat glands are the chief paths by which water reaches the surface of the skin—Morris Fishbein
2
: pathway sense 1

path

2 of 2 abbreviation
pathological; pathology

More from Merriam-Webster on path

Nglish: Translation of path for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about path

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