A passageway is a narrow path or corridor that connects one place to another. In buildings, passageways are the hallways that link different rooms, like the corridor in your school that connects your classroom to the library. On ships, passageways run between decks and cabins. In caves, natural passageways wind through rock, sometimes opening into larger chambers.

The word emphasizes movement and connection. A passageway serves as a route for getting from one place to another rather than being a destination. Ancient castles had secret passageways hidden behind bookcases or fireplaces, allowing people to move without being seen. Underground passageways called tunnels connect subway stations or help animals cross safely under highways.

Sometimes people use passageway to describe any route through something: a narrow passageway between buildings, a passageway through dense forest, or even the nasal passageways in your body that air flows through when you breathe. The word suggests something enclosed or defined, not just open space, making it different from simply saying “path” or “route.”