a journey definition english

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[ jur -nee ]

a six-day journey across the desert.

Synonyms: tour , jaunt , excursion

a desert journey.

a week's journey.

the journey to success.

verb (used without object)

Synonyms: peregrinate , rove , roam

/ ˈdʒɜːnɪ /

• a travelling from one place to another; trip or voyage
• the distance travelled in a journey
• the time taken to make a journey
• intr to make a journey

Derived Forms

• ˈjourneyer , noun

Other Words From

• journey·er noun
• outjourney verb (used with object) outjourneyed outjourneying

Word History and Origins

Origin of journey 1

Synonym Study

Example sentences.

If either is selected, it would not launch until 2026 at the earliest, and would take at least a few months to make the journey.

The job is a cherry on top, but the journey and the experience of being able to audition and leave your heart in the room and feel good about it, no matter what happens, that’s rare and that was amazing.

Cross-device measurement helps connect the dots of your customer’s journey and ensures you know how effective your campaigns are at driving user behavior.

You are somewhat of a new grandmother and you’ve been enjoying that journey.

Instead of having numerous articles addressing each of these particular questions, brands and publishers could consolidate this information as it is all pertinent to the same stage of the journey that the user is in.

The brokers then scout out potential “crew members” who can earn substantial discounts for working the journey.

The next day, after driving to Putney on the outskirts of London, we start the end of our journey.

The NYPD Emerald Society pipes and drums struck up a slow march and the procession began the journey to the cemetery.

We began a journey with Koenig in the first episode of Serial.

But the sunlight is threatening to fade and a three-and-a-half-hour river journey back to Kisangani looms.

With a hammer the boy knocked off some of the slats of the small box in which Squinty had made his journey.

Then summoning a smart young jemadar with whom he had talked a good deal during the journey, he asked him to read the chit.

But dismissing them from our thoughts for the time being, as we did then from our presence, let us continue our journey.

If the journey is now distasteful to her, she has but her own rashness to blame in having sought it herself.

It was past sundown when they left San Bernardino, but a full moon made the night as good as day for their journey.

Related Words

• exploration

What Is The Plural Of Journey?

Plural word for  journey.

The plural form of journey is journeys (not journies ). Words that end with a – y preceded by a vowel ( a, e, i, o, u ) are made plural by adding an -s at the end, as in chimney / chimneys and monkey / monkeys . 

This can be confusing, because the plural form of words that end with a – y and are preceded by a consonant is made by changing the ending to -ies , as in party / parties , candy / candies , and duty / duties .

More About Journey

What does  journey mean.

A journey is a trip, especially one to a faraway place that takes place over a long period of time.

The word trip can refer to any instance of traveling from one place to another, no matter how long or short it is. The word journey , though, typically implies a long trip—one that’s at least several hours, and perhaps several months or even years. It also often implies adventure—a journey might even be a quest . A journey may or may not have a planned destination other than whatever lies ahead.

The word is also commonly used in a figurative way to liken any lengthy process or progress to such a trip, as in Life is a journey, with many interesting detours. 

Journey can also be used as a verb meaning to make a long trip, as in We must journey to the land beyond the mountains.

Example: My favorite books are about people who make epic journeys around the world.

Where does  journey come from?

The first records of the word journey come from around the 1200s. It comes from the Middle English word journee , meaning “day,” ultimately from unattested Vulgar Latin diurnāta , meaning “a day’s time” or “a day’s work.” In English, the meaning of the word journey originally meant something like “a day’s travel,” but eventually came to mean “a long trip.”

A journey can last a day but the word usually refers to longer trips. The word is sometimes preceded with the mode of transportation that’s used, as in The city is reachable only by a long train journey. Discussion of journeys often involves their destination or purpose. When people say, “It’s the journey , not the destination,” they mean that the significance and value of a journey is what happens along the way, from moment to moment, as opposed to the achievement of its ultimate goal.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to journey ?

• journeyer (noun)
• outjourney (verb)

What are some synonyms for journey ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with journey ? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing journey ?

• destination

How is  journey used in real life?

Journey is very commonly used in a figurative way.

I ask you to accompany me on my journey to Chile and Peru in your prayers. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 15, 2018

Life is indeed a journey. Successful is he who can navigate the ups and downs without losing his balance. Don’t dwell on your past, don’t wallow in self-pity, don’t repeat your mistakes, don’t focus on negativity, help others along the way, spread kindness wherever you go! — Mufti Menk (@muftimenk) August 17, 2020

Some people around us will not understand our journey. They don’t need to; it’s not for them — Paulo Coelho (@paulocoelho) May 4, 2019

Try using  journey !

Which of the following words is a synonym of journey ?

A. voyage B. trip C. trek D. all of the above

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What is the meaning of "journey"?

Derivatives, word origin, user journey.

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• journalistically

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Synonyms of journey

• as in to travel
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Thesaurus Definition of journey

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• peregrination
• commutation

Thesaurus Definition of journey  (Entry 2 of 2)

• peregrinate
• road - trip
• knock (about)
• perambulate

Examples of journey in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'journey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Articles Related to journey

8 Ways to Get Away From It All

Whether it's a jaunt or a junket, remember sunblock.

Thesaurus Entries Near journey

Cite this entry.

“Journey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/journey. Accessed 10 Sep. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on journey

Nglish: Translation of journey for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of journey for Arabic Speakers

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• 1.1.1 Pronunciation
• 1.1.2.1 Hyponyms
• 1.1.2.2 Derived terms
• 1.1.2.3 Translations
• 1.1.3.1 Synonyms
• 1.1.3.2 Translations
• 1.1.4 Further reading
• 1.2.1 Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English journe , from Old French jornee , from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta , from Late Latin diurnum , from Latin diurnus , from diēs ( “ day ” ) . Displaced native Old English fær and Old English faru .

Pronunciation

• ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈd͡ʒɝni/
• ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈd͡ʒɜːni/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ni

journey ( plural journeys )

• 1807 , William Wordsworth, “Star Gazers”, in Poems, in Two Volumes , volume I, London: [ … ] Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme ,   [ … ] , →OCLC , page 88 : Or is it, that when human Souls a journey long have had, / And are returned into themselves, they cannot be but sad?
• 2012 March-April, Terrence J. Sejnowski , “Well-connected Brains”, in American Scientist ‎ [1] , volume 100 , number 2, archived from the original on 27 April 2017 , page 171 : Creating a complete map of the human connectome would therefore be a monumental milestone but not the end of the journey to understanding how our brains work.
• 2023 December 27, Richard Foster, “New rail freight terminal leads the way”, in RAIL , number 999 , page 39 : That progress has taken over ten years and £20 million to bring to fruition. But, as Mands explains, the journey has been one that HSG has been almost obligated to undertake. "First and foremost, this is an environmental project," she says.
• ( obsolete ) A day .
• ( obsolete ) A day's travelling; the distance travelled in a day.
• 1485 , Sir Thomas Malory , “ vij ”, in Le Morte Darthur , book VI: But whan ye haue done that Iourney ye shal promyse me as ye are a true knyght for to go with me and to helpe me / and other damoysels that are distressid dayly with a fals knyghte / All your entente damoysel and desyre I wylle fulfylle / soo ye wyl brynge me vnto this knyghte (please add an English translation of this quotation)
• The weight of finished coins delivered at one time to the Master of the Mint .
• ( collective , colloquial ) A group of giraffes .
• See also Thesaurus:journey

Derived terms

• a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
• memory journey
• Sabbath-day's journey
• wedding journey

Further reading

• “ journey ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary , Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam , 1913 , →OCLC .
• “ journey ”, in The Century Dictionary   [ … ] , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co. , 1911 , →OCLC .
• “ journey ”, in OneLook Dictionary Search .

Etymology 2

Reborrowing from French journée ( day's activities ) , originally an unadapted borrowing from French journée , from Old French jornee , from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta .

• ( glassblowing ) The total time spent melting and working one piece.

Middle English

• Alternative form of journe

• English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dyew-
• English terms inherited from Middle English
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• English terms derived from Vulgar Latin
• English terms derived from Late Latin
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• English 2-syllable words
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• Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)ni
• Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)ni/2 syllables
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Example sentences take a journey

So be brave and dare to take the journey !

So sit back, listen to your hypothalamus's urgent cry for a cup of tea, and take a journey inside the mysteries of your mind.

He should take the journey to discover his inner fish.

You don't have to take a journey into the wilderness or hike, or hug a tree.

Those who cannot take a journey without risk of harm or who would suffer distress are eligible.

Definition of 'take' take

Definition of 'journey' journey

Related word partners take a journey.

Browse alphabetically take a journey

• take a holiday
• take a hormone
• take a journey
• take a knee
• take a leaf from someone's book
• take a leaf out of someone's book
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Synonyms and antonyms of journey in English

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a toy made from cloth and filled with a soft material so that it is pleasant to hold, often in the form of an animal

Like a bull in a china shop: talking about people who are clumsy

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