pilgrimage
Americannoun
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a journey, especially a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion.
a pilgrimage to Lourdes.
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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
Related Words
See trip 1.
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.
It was also a highlight of the longstanding tradition known as Pilgrimage.
From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2024
His other acting work includes a role in 2023's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which also starred Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2024
Attending the pilgrimage year after year, Kitajo, now a Pilgrimage co-chair, became part of a community that is growing as younger generations seek to understand the incarceration of their ancestors.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2023
Pilgrimage had been obligatory for Jewish people until the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, but even after that time, the city continued to play a special role in Jewish life.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
“I am not now that which I have been,” Byron wrote in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, and that could have been Bobby’s answer to his spiritual change near the end of his life.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
