aboard

American  

[uh-bawrd, uh-bohrd] / əˈbɔrd, əˈboʊrd /

adverb

1. on board; on, in, or into a ship, train, airplane, bus, etc..

   to step aboard.

2. alongside; to the side.

3. Baseball. on base.

   a homer with two aboard.

4. into a group as a new member.

   The office manager welcomed him aboard.

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preposition

1. on board of; on, in, or into.

   to come aboard a ship.

idioms

1. all aboard! (as a warning to passengers entering or planning to enter a train, bus, boat, etc., just before starting) Everyone get on!

aboard British  

/ əˈbɔːd /

adverb

1. on, in, onto, or into (a ship, train, aircraft, etc)

2. nautical alongside (a vessel)

3. a warning to passengers to board a vehicle, ship, etc

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Etymology

Origin of aboard

1350–1400; Middle English abord ( e ) ( a- ¹, board ), perhaps conflated with Middle French a bord

Explanation

The adverb aboard means on board, as in on a ship, train or plane. Usually the captain will welcome you aboard with a brief speech if you're lucky — or a long one if you're not. Aboard comes from the French phrase à bord, which has the same meaning as the English word — on board. If you were just hired, your new manager might say "Welcome aboard" (the figurative company train). The phrase "All aboard!" is said as a warning before departure, especially before a ship or train leaves. It means, in essence: haul your keister up here quick or you'll be left behind!

Example Sentences

“This is a thinking man or woman’s cruise, not a drinking man’s,” Hagen, who is also Viking’s chairman, speaking aboard Octanis.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

During the 2022 Artemis I test mission, which had no people aboard, the heat shield had unexpectedly chipped in more than 100 spots.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Regardless of what might lead a firm to ignore its stated minimum to bring you aboard, you don’t need to rush.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Trained by Henry de Bromhead, who provided Rachael Blackmore with her unforgettable Grand National victory aboard Minella Times in 2021.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

On the night of April 22, after another night’s delay, John Wilkes Booth and David Herold finally climbed aboard the boat and rowed out into the Potomac toward Virginia.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson