Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

adventurer

American  
[ad-ven-cher-er] / ædˈvɛn tʃər ər /

noun

adventurers plural
  1. a person who has, enjoys, or seeks adventures.

  2. a seeker of fortune in daring enterprises; soldier of fortune.

  3. a person who undertakes great commercial risk; speculator.

  4. a person who seeks power, wealth, or social rank by unscrupulous or questionable means.

    They thought John was an adventurer and after their daughter's money.

  5. Usually Adventurer a member of Camp Fire, Inc., who is between the ages of 9 and 11.


adventurer British  
/ ədˈvɛntʃərə /

noun

  1. a person who seeks adventure, esp one who seeks success or money through daring exploits

  2. a person who seeks money or power by unscrupulous means

  3. a speculator

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of adventurer

First recorded in 1475–85; adventure + -er 1

Explanation

If you boldly travel to exotic and unexplored locations, you're an adventurer. One thing all adventurers have in common is a willingness to face risks and even danger in pursuit of excitement. Being an adventurer might mean scaling the highest mountains, diving to the bottom of the ocean — or for a very young child, riding a bike all the way to the end of the block. Many adventurers love to travel, particularly to rugged or unfamiliar locations. If you love adventure, you can call yourself an adventurer. Both words stem from the Latin adventura, "about to happen."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

The Coral Adventurer had been expected to dock at Cairns – where its operator Coral Expeditions is based.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

Suzanne Rees had been hiking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but broke off from the group for a rest.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

Adventurer Bear Grylls and Sir Tom Jones will join them in pre-recorded sketches to celebrate the crowning of the King and the Queen Consort.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2023

Adventurer Indiana Jones will also return to the festival 15 years since his last appearance in Cannes.

From Reuters • Apr. 13, 2023

When tall masts rocked above, and voices hailed, and a rope shot across, again the Adventurer pressed Christian hard with precious human kindness.

From The Unknown Sea by Housman, Clemence

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "adventurer" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com