Passage vs. Path — What's the Difference?

A journey by sea or air.

A metaphor for a series of actions or decisions.

A corridor inside a building.

A track formed by continuous treading.

The process of time going by.

A trail for walking in a park or wilderness.

A part of a written work.

A way of life or direction chosen by a person.

The act of passing through a place.

A course of action or way of achieving a goal.

The action or process of moving through or past somewhere on the way from one place to another

A way or track laid down for walking or made by continual treading

A narrow way allowing access between buildings or to different rooms within a building; a passageway

(chiefly in computing and railway contexts) allocate a path.

The process of transition from one state to another

A trodden track or way.

A short extract from a book or other printed material

A road, way, or track made for a particular purpose

The propagation of microorganisms or cells in a series of host organisms or culture media, so as to maintain them or modify their virulence

The route or course along which something travels or moves

A movement performed in advanced dressage and classical riding, in which the horse executes a slow elevated trot, giving the impression of dancing.

A course of action or conduct

Subject (a strain of microorganisms or cells) to a passage

A sequence of commands or a link between points that is needed to reach a particular goal.

Movement from one place to another

A pathname.

The process of elapsing

A trail for the use of, or worn by, pedestrians.

Enactment into law of a legislative bill.

A course taken.

A journey, especially one by air or water

(paganism) A Pagan tradition, for example witchcraft, Wicca, druidism, Heathenry.

The right to travel as a passenger, especially on a ship

A metaphorical course or route; progress.

The right, permission, or power to come and go freely

A method or direction of proceeding.

A path, channel, or duct through, over, or along which something may pass

(computing) A human-readable specification for a location within a hierarchical or tree-like structure, such as a file system or as part of a URL.

A corridor.

(graph theory) A sequence of vertices from one vertex to another using the arcs (edges). A path does not visit the same vertex more than once (unless it is a closed path, where only the first and the last vertex are the same).

An occurrence or event

(topology) A continuous map $f$ from the unit interval $I\; =\; [0,1]$ to a topological space $X$.

Something, such as an exchange of words or blows, that occurs between two persons

(rail) A slot available for allocation to a railway train over a given route in between other trains.

A segment of a written work or speech

Pathology.

(Music) A segment of a composition, especially one that demonstrates the virtuousity of the composer or performer

(transitive) To make a path in, or on (something), or for (someone).

A section of a painting or other piece of artwork; a detail.

To navigate through a file system directory tree (to a desired file or folder).

(Physiology) The process of discharging something from a bodily part, such as evacuation of waste from the bowels.

A trodden way; a footway.

(Medicine) The introduction of an instrument into a bodily cavity.

A way, course, or track, in which anything moves or has moved; route; passage; an established way; as, the path of a meteor, of a caravan, of a storm, of a pestilence. Also used figuratively, of a course of life or action.

(Obsolete) Death.

To make a path in, or on (something), or for (some one).

A slow cadenced trot in which the horse raises and returns to the ground first one diagonal pair of feet, then the other.

To walk or go.

To execute such a trot in dressage.

A course of conduct;

To cause (a horse) to execute such a trot in dressage.

A way especially designed for a particular use

A paragraph or section of text or music with particular meaning.

An established line of travel or access

Part of a path or journey.

A line or route along which something travels or moves;

An incident or episode.

The official approval of a bill or act by a parliament.

The advance of time.

(art) The use of tight brushwork to link objects in separate spatial plains. Commonly seen in Cubist works.

A passageway or corridor.

(nautical) A strait or other narrow waterway.

(caving) An underground cavity, formed by water or falling rocks, which is much longer than it is wide.

(euphemistic) The vagina.

The act of passing; movement across or through.

The right to pass from one place to another.

A fee paid for passing or for being conveyed between places.

Serial passage.

A gambling game for two players using three dice, in which the object is to throw a double over ten.

(dressage) A movement in classical dressage, in which the horse performs a very collected, energetic, and elevated trot that has a longer period of suspension between each foot fall than a working trot.

(medicine) To pass something, such as a pathogen or stem cell, through a host or medium.

(rare) To make a passage, especially by sea; to cross.

To execute a passage movement.

The act of passing; transit from one place to another; movement from point to point; a going by, over, across, or through; as, the passage of a man or a carriage; the passage of a ship or a bird; the passage of light; the passage of fluids through the pores or channels of the body.

Transit by means of conveyance; journey, as by water, carriage, car, or the like; travel; right, liberty, or means, of passing; conveyance.

Price paid for the liberty to pass; fare; as, to pay one's passage.

Removal from life; decease; departure; death.

Way; road; path; channel or course through or by which one passes; way of exit or entrance; way of access or transit. Hence, a common avenue to various apartments in a building; a hall; a corridor.

A continuous course, process, or progress; a connected or continuous series; as, the passage of time.

A separate part of a course, process, or series; an occurrence; an incident; an act or deed.

A particular portion constituting a part of something continuous; esp., a portion of a book, speech, or musical composition; a paragraph; a clause.

Reception; currency.

A pass or en encounter; as, a passage at arms.

A movement or an evacuation of the bowels.

In parliamentary proceedings: (a) The course of a proposition (bill, resolution, etc.) through the several stages of consideration and action; as, during its passage through Congress the bill was amended in both Houses. (b) The advancement of a bill or other proposition from one stage to another by an affirmative vote; esp., the final affirmative action of the body upon a proposition; hence, adoption; enactment; as, the passage of the bill to its third reading was delayed.

The act of passing from one state or place to the next

A section of text; particularly a section of medium length

A way through or along which someone or something may pass

The passing of a law by a legislative body

A journey usually by ship;

A short section of a musical composition

A path or channel or duct through or along which something may pass;

A bodily process of passing from one place or stage to another;

The motion of one object relative to another;

The act of passing something to another person

Paths can be made of various materials including dirt, gravel, concrete, or even wood chips, depending on their location and intended use.

Passages are typically constructed using building materials like brick, wood, or concrete.

Paths can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment; they provide access to natural areas but can also contribute to habitat fragmentation and erosion.

Yes, both require maintenance to ensure safety; passages may need lighting and clear signage, while paths may require clearing of obstacles and stable surfaces.

In music, a passage can refer to a particular section or a series of notes that are distinct within a piece.

Yes, in nautical contexts, "passage" refers to a journey by water, whereas "path" could describe the planned route of the vessel.

A footpath is specifically designed for walking, whereas a path can be used for walking or may also accommodate bicycles and other small vehicles.

Paths exposed to harsh weather require regular maintenance such as clearing snow or debris, repairing erosion damage, and reinforcing the pathway material.

"Right of passage" typically refers to the legal right to travel across property owned by another, which is more accurately termed "right of way."

In allegorical literature, passages often symbolize personal or spiritual transitions, whereas paths might symbolize choices and journeys in life.

Historically, a "passage of arms" was a formal challenge or duel among knights or warriors.

Design considerations include width, height, lighting, accessibility, and connection points between areas.

In some contexts, such as in discussing routes or journeys, "passage" and "path" can have overlapping meanings, though "passage" often implies a more enclosed or structured route.

In urban planning, passages are used to facilitate movement within buildings and between urban spaces, while paths are integrated into landscapes for recreational and transit purposes.

Paths are crucial in park design for directing visitor flow, providing access to different areas, and enhancing the aesthetic and functional aspects of the park.