pilgrimage
Americannoun
-
a journey, especially a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion.
a pilgrimage to Lourdes.
-
Islam.
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any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest or for a votive purpose, as to pay homage.
a pilgrimage to the grave of Shakespeare.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a journey to a shrine or other sacred place
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a journey or long search made for exalted or sentimental reasons
verb
Synonym Usage
See trip 1.
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has pilgrimagedperfect 3rd person singular
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have pilgrimagedperfect
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are pilgrimagingprogressive
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am pilgrimagingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been pilgrimagingperfect progressive
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is pilgrimagingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been pilgrimagingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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pilgrimagessingular 3rd person
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pilgrimagingparticiple
Past
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had pilgrimagedperfect
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were pilgrimagingprogressive plural
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had been pilgrimagingperfect progressive
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was pilgrimagingprogressive singular
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pilgrimagedparticiple
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pilgrimagedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of pilgrimage
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English pilegrimage ( see pilgrim, -age); replacing earlier pelrimage, alteration of Old French pelerinage
Explanation
A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place. People make pilgrimages to places like Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Dharamsala as part of their religious or spiritual practice. A pilgrimage is often a spiritual journey, but some pilgrimages deal with other kinds of devotion. For example, fans often visit the places that are — or were — significant to their heroes. Every August 16th, Elvis Presley fans from around the country make a pilgrimage to his famous former home, Graceland, to commemorate the anniversary of his death.
Vocabulary lists containing pilgrimage
"Beowulf," Vocabulary from the epic poem
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Human Geography - Middle School
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World Religions
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Muslim faithful took part in the climactic ritual of the annual hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday, symbolically stoning the devil near Mecca.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Central to Eid al-Adha celebrations, which mark the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, is the sacrificing of a sheep.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Muslims have begun the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia against the backdrop of a region deeply shaken by the Iran war.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
"I have wanted to perform the pilgrimage my entire life, for 40 or 50 years," said Jreish Mohammed, a 68-year-old Moroccan.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
I began to wonder why MamS had suggested this pilgrimage.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
