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Definition of sidewalk

sidewalk

/ˈsaɪd.wɔːk/
side · walk
Plural:sidewalks
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sidewalk Lexical Profile

sidewalk Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A paved path for pedestrians located along the side of a street or road.

Example

"The children spent the afternoon drawing hopscotch squares on the concrete sidewalk with chalk."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for sidewalk
Antonyms
View all antonyms for sidewalk

Word Nuance & Usage

This term is standard in North American English; British English typically uses 'pavement', while Australian and New Zealand English prefer 'footpath'.

• Nearby Words

sideswipe
sidetrack
sidetrip
sidewalk
sidewall
sideward
sideways

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the mid-19th century in American English as a compound of 'side' and 'walk', originally denoting a wooden boardwalk along the side of a road for pedestrians.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sidewalk. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sidewalk
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