journey

[jur-nee]

noun

plural

journeys 

1. a traveling from one place to another, usually taking a rather long time; trip.

   a six-day journey across the desert.

   Synonyms: tour, jaunt, excursion

2. a distance, course, or area traveled or suitable for traveling.

   a desert journey.

3. a period of travel.

   a week's journey.

4. passage or progress from one stage to another.

   the journey to success.

verb (used without object)

journeyed, journeying 

1. to make a journey; travel.

   Synonyms: peregrinate, rove, roam

journey

/ ˈdʒɜːnɪ /

noun

1. a travelling from one place to another; trip or voyage

2. 1. the distance travelled in a journey

   2. the time taken to make a journey

verb

1. (intr) to make a journey

Other Word Forms

• journeyer noun
• outjourney verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of journey¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English journee “day,” from Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin diurnāta “a day's time, day's work, etc.,” equivalent to Latin diurn(us) “daily” + -āta, feminine of -ātus -ate ¹; -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of journey¹

C13: from Old French journee a day, a day's travelling, from Latin diurnum day's portion; see _diurnal

Synonym Study

See trip ¹.

Example Sentences

The group were making their way to France, via Stonehenge and Bournemouth, when their journey came to an abrupt and unexpected end – in Raglan.

Read more on BBC

“We just haven’t gone on that journey yet at high speeds.”

Read more on MarketWatch

Given that Mr. Carlson’s journey into a vile and very weird world has been well documented, it’s no surprise he’d treat Mr. Fuentes with kid gloves.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They’ve journeyed from Spain to find Esteban’s missing teenage sister who ran off to join an offshoot of this traveling festival months ago.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Bellingham's journey has been more direct, from his beloved Birmingham City to Borussia Dortmund then Real Madrid - where he claimed the major prizes of La Liga and the Champions League in his first season.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• adventure 
• campaign 
• crossing 
• drive 
• expedition 
• exploration 
• hike 
• itinerary 
• jaunt 
• migration 
• odyssey 
• outing 
• passage 
• pilgrimage 
• progress 
• quest 
• route 
• sojourn 
• tour 
• travel 

When To Use

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.