Definition of: right of way

1. Law The right, general or special, of a person to pass over the land of another; also, the path or piece of land over which passage is made.
2. The strip of land, acquired by easement, condemnation, or purchase, over which a railroad lays its tracks, or that land on which a public highway is built; also, the strip of land above which a high-tension power line is built.
3. The legal or customary precedence which allows one vehicle or vessel to cross in front of another.