aboard
Americanadverb
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on board; on, in, or into a ship, train, airplane, bus, etc..
to step aboard.
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alongside; to the side.
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Baseball. on base.
a homer with two aboard.
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into a group as a new member.
The office manager welcomed him aboard.
preposition
idioms
adverb
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on, in, onto, or into (a ship, train, aircraft, etc)
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nautical alongside (a vessel)
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a warning to passengers to board a vehicle, ship, etc
Etymology
Origin of aboard
1350–1400; Middle English abord ( e ) ( see a- 1, board), perhaps conflated with Middle French a bord
Explanation
The adverb aboard means on board, as in on a ship, train or plane. Usually the captain will welcome you aboard with a brief speech if you're lucky — or a long one if you're not. Aboard comes from the French phrase à bord, which has the same meaning as the English word — on board. If you were just hired, your new manager might say "Welcome aboard" (the figurative company train). The phrase "All aboard!" is said as a warning before departure, especially before a ship or train leaves. It means, in essence: haul your keister up here quick or you'll be left behind!
Vocabulary lists containing aboard
Words Every Pirate Should Know
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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"The Star-Spangled Banner" and "The Flag We Love"
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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.
Conditions aboard the ship have included poor sanitation, infrequent ports-of-call, broken plumbing and shortages of fresh food, according to reports last week in the Military Times and Stars & Stripes.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln have been misrepresented.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
While the US Navy last week acknowledged supply challenges, it had denied a mental health crisis on the Lincoln, which has 5,000 people aboard.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
A prolonged blockade is likely to put more strain on naval ships and the sailors aboard them who are operating at a high tempo with little rest, according to some U.S. officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Alexander and Beowulf were delighted to hold the two babies as Penelope helped the woman lift her carriage aboard.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
