roving
1 Americanadjective
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roaming or wandering.
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not assigned or restricted to any particular location, area, topic, etc..
a roving editor.
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not assigned to any particular diplomatic post but having a special mission.
a roving ambassador.
noun
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a soft strand of fiber that has been twisted, attenuated, and freed of foreign matter preparatory to its conversion into yarn.
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the final phase of carding, in which this is done.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of roving1
First recorded in 1590–1600; rove 1 + -ing 2
Origin of roving2
Explanation
Roving things or people are in motion, like a roving reporter who travels to cover stories instead of staying put at her desk. Some roving animals are migrating, moving from one point on the globe to another. Roving travelers might be folks who live out of their camper as they wander across the country. And your job might be described as roving, too: "I work as a roving news photographer." Roving comes from the verb rove, "wander," which earlier meant "shoot arrows at a mark selected at random."
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.
Roving among the points of view of a sprawling cast—the sisters, their scattered children and grandchildren, and an assortment of bewildered spouses and exes—the stories often center on obligatory reunions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
Roving through the graffiti-flecked streets of Medellín, Colombia, Catalina Arroyave Restrepo’s feature is a vibrant portrait of both the malaise and the endless imagination of youth.
From New York Times • May 5, 2023
Matthew McConaughey is also in The Gentlemen, filling the role of the Roving American Superstar.
From The Guardian • Oct. 2, 2019
Roving teams of protesters handed snacks to stranded passengers and appealed for understanding as they distributed pamphlets detailing their case against police brutality.
From Washington Post • Aug. 13, 2019
I can’t make cans of corn out of thin They passed through Harken Square, around the Gathering Hall, and down Roving Street, where three of the floodlights were out, making a cave of shadow.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
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.
