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Synonyms

en route

American  
[ahn root, en, ahn root] / ɑn ˈrut, ɛn, ɑ̃ ˈrut /

adverb

  1. on the way.

    The plane crashed en route from Cairo to Athens.
en route British  
/ ɑ̃ rut, ɒn ˈruːt /

adverb

  1. on or along the way; on the road

"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
en route Idioms  

  1. On or along the way, as in We'll pick up Dan en route to the restaurant, or We can finish our discussion en route. This French term was adopted into English in the late 1700s.

Etymology

Origin of en route

Borrowed into English from French around 1770–80

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.

En route, she meets a guy in a book store who promises to show her Christmas in Paris.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025

En route to the national championship last season, Michigan led the nation in turnover margin at plus-19.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2024

En route to record U.S. sales in 2023, Hyundai, Kia and their Genesis luxury brand together sold more electric vehicles in the United States than any automaker save Tesla.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024

En route to Washington, Biden told reporters he was blunt with Israel about the need to facilitate aid to Gaza.

From Reuters • Oct. 18, 2023

En route from Bermuda, he was the focus of intense pressure.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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.