beltway
beltway Lexical Profile
beltway Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A major highway that encircles a city or metropolitan area so that traffic does not have to pass through the center.
"Taking the beltway during rush hour is usually faster than driving directly through downtown."
American The political and social milieu of the United States federal government in Washington, D.C., perceived as insular and detached from the general public (usually capitalized as the Beltway).
"Critics argued that the policy was popular inside the Beltway but ignored the concerns of everyday voters."
Word Nuance & Usage
When capitalized as 'the Beltway' (especially in the phrase 'inside the Beltway'), it refers specifically to Interstate 495 around Washington, D.C., and by extension the insular culture of the U.S. federal government and political establishment.