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.

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en route British  

/ ɑ̃ rut, ɒn ˈruːt /

adverb

1. on or along the way; on the road

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of en route

Borrowed into English from French around 1770–80

Example Sentences

The Charles de Gaulle, the flagship of the French navy, and its escorts were transiting through the Suez Canal en route to the southern Red Sea, the defence ministry said.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

It’s the reset I reach for when I know groceries are en route and the counters feel a little gritty, a little sticky from a day of recipe testing.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

At 8:27 p.m., he pulled up a live feed of Trump en route to the event.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

Years before the project began, migrating ospreys had been spotted in Poole Harbour, en route from Scotland to their wintering grounds in north Africa.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

There was always the chance she had been delayed en route.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield