autopista

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish autopista.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaʊtoʊˌpistə/, /ˈɔtoʊ-/

Noun

autopista (plural autopistas)

1. A controlled-access highway in various Spanish-speaking countries.

References

• “autopista”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Asturian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /au̯toˈpista/ [au̯.t̪oˈpis̪.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -ista
• Hyphenation: au‧to‧pis‧ta

Noun

autopista f (plural autopistes)

1. motorway, freeway

Catalan

Etymology

From auto +‎ pista.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˌaw.tuˈpis.tə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˌaw.toˈpis.ta]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

autopista f (plural autopistes)

1. motorway, freeway

Further reading

• “autopista”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Italian

Etymology

From auto- +‎ pista.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌaw.toˈpis.ta/
• Rhymes: -ista
• Hyphenation: au‧to‧pì‧sta

Noun

autopista f (plural autopiste)

1. race track (at a fairground)

Further reading

• autopista in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Spanish

Etymology

From auto +‎ pista.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /autoˈpista/ [au̯.t̪oˈpis.t̪a]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ista
• Syllabification: au‧to‧pis‧ta

Noun

autopista f (plural autopistas)

1. motorway, freeway

   Coordinate term: autovía

   • 2025 September 2, “La Diferencia Entre Autopista y Carretera (ACTUALIZADO 2023)”, in Omega Law Group‎^[1], archived from the original on 24 October 2025:

     Debido a su diseño ininterrumpido, las autopistas generalmente permiten límites de velocidad más altos que las carreteras.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2025 October 22, Mónica De Anda, “Video capta choque mortal en autopista 10 en Ontario; arrestan a conductor”, in KABC-TV‎^[2], archived from the original on 24 October 2025:

     El accidente ocurrió en la autopista 10 en dirección oeste, justo al este de la autopista 15, poco antes de la 1:15 p.m., según la Patrulla de Caminos de California (CHP).

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• In Spain, autovías are toll-free, while autopistas are usually tolled. Meanwhile, Autovías adhere to lower construction standards than autopistas, with sharper / tighter curves and steeper slopes, and often with shorter exit lanes that do not meet the minimum length required on autopistas.

Further reading

• “autopista”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025