right-of-way
UK[ˌraɪt əv ˈweɪ]US[ˌraɪt əv ˈweɪ]
n
the legal right to proceed ahead of other traffic or pedestrians
n
a path or route that one has a legal right to use
n
the legal right of a railroad, utility, etc., to pass over land owned by another
Etymology
the phrase "right of way" emerged in english legal and property terminology during the late middle ages, directly combining the common germanic word "right" (from old english riht, meaning "just, good, fair") with the preposition "of" and "way" (from old english weg, meaning "path, road, journey"). it originally denoted a legal entitlement to pass over another's land, a concept rooted in feudal land law concerning paths and roads. over centuries, its application expanded from footpaths and horse tracks to modern contexts like road traffic priority and easements for railways and pipelines, formalizing the abstract concept of prioritized passage in a shared space.
Analysis
this is a fixed compound phrase. it is not productively formed from separable morphemes in modern english but is a lexicalized unit.
Examples
the truck driver failed to yield the right-of-way to the oncoming car.
the old farm has a public right-of-way running through its fields.
the utility company holds a right-of-way for its power lines across private property.