by way of

phrase

By the route of.

“By way of apology, he tried to be gallant.”

Similar
throughvia
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Meanings

phrase

alternative by the way of

  1. By the route of.

    From Shakespeare to Milton by way of the English Bible, our language has been shaped by humanist ideas.

    4 more examples

    Intensity was more usually reached by way of the solemn than by way of the brilliant.

    1878, Thomas Hardy, chapter 1, in The Return of the Native

    “I always go over the wall, by way of the plum tree,” said Matilda.

    1914, Saki (pseudonym; H. H. Munro), “The Boar-Pig”, in Beasts and Super-Beasts

    In 1919, demobilisation specials from Purfleet, Essex, to the North, usually made up of nondescript, almost paintless or grey stock which had seen long wartime service, chalked with slogans, were worked through by way of Bromley and the North London line […].

    1950 April, R. A. H. Weight, “They Passed by My Window”, in Railway Magazine, pages 258-259

    My name is Elle Woods, Boston by way of Bel Air.

    2003, Kate Kondell (screenplay), Legally Blonde 2 (motion picture), spoken by Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon)

    Synonyms: through, via

  2. For the purpose of; as a means of; as an instance of; as a type or form of.

    By way of apology, he tried to be gallant.

    5 more examples

    By way of qualification, I should point out that…

    Thus much may serve by way of proem: / Proceed we therefore to our poem.

    1731, Jonathan Swift, On the Death of Dr. Swift

    Why they hesitated I never could tell, unless they did it by way of a joke.

    1849, Edgar Allan Poe, Hop-Frog

    […] his two ill-conditioned, canine favorites, which sat shivering before the smoky little fire, barking shortly and sharply now and then, by way of hinting for some slight refreshment.

    1862, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret

    By way of contrast there is an air of finality about the closure of the Welsh Highland Railway.

    1949 November and December, “Notes and News: Festiniog and Welsh Highland Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 409
  3. UKoftenPossessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of; in the state or condition of.

    "From what you tell me, he's by way of being the brains of the family."

    1921, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Springtime
    1 more example

    Thoreau, too, come to think of it, was, by way of being a prophet, a pioneer in this Emancipation of Man from Bothery.

    1898, H. G. Wells, “The Trouble of Life”, in Certain Personal Matters, pages 16–17

Synonyms & antonyms

phraseBy the route of.

Similar
throughvia
Also see
by means of

Translations

Esperanto laŭ
  • laŭby the route of, through, via
Finnish kautta, kautta
  • kauttaby the route of, through, via
  • kauttafor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
  • avullafor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
  • tarkoitukseenfor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
French en passant par, par
  • en passant parby the route of, through, via
  • parby the route of, through, via
  • viaby the route of, through, via
  • en guise defor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
  • par le biais defor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
  • à titre defor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
  • en forme defor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
  • par le fait depossessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of
  • du fait depossessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of
  • pas loin depossessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of
German zu
  • zufor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
Italian tramite, per via di
  • tramiteby the route of, through, via
  • per via diby the route of, through, via
  • per mezzo diby the route of, through, via
  • medianteby the route of, through, via
  • mercèby the route of, through, via
Polish drogą, w ramach
  • drogąby the route of, through, via
  • w ramachfor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
  • poprzezpossessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of
Spanish a manera de, a la manera de
  • a manera deby the route of, through, via
  • a la manera deby the route of, through, via
  • a fuer deby the route of, through, via
  • a modo defor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
  • en concepto defor the purpose of, as a means or instance of
Cite this entry
APA

by way of. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20way%20of

MLA

“by way of.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20way%20of. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by way of,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20way%20of.

Source: by way of on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.