adventure

[ ad-ven-cher ]

/ ædˈvɛn tʃər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR adventure ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an exciting or very unusual experience.

participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure.

a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome.

a commercial or financial speculation of any kind; venture.

Obsolete.

peril; danger; risk.
chance; fortune; luck.

verb (used with object), ad·ven·tured, ad·ven·tur·ing.

to risk or hazard.

to take the chance of; dare.

to venture to say or utter: to adventure an opinion.

verb (used without object), ad·ven·tured, ad·ven·tur·ing.

to take the risk involved.

to venture; hazard.

Nearby words

Origin of adventure

1200–50; Middle English aventure < Anglo-French, Old French < Vulgar Latin *adventūra what must happen, feminine (orig. neuter plural) of Latin adventūrus future participle of advenīre to arrive; ad- ad- replacing a- a-⁵. See advent, -ure

Related formsad·ven·ture·ful, adjectiveun·ad·ven·tur·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for adventure

Marcel the elephant takes readers on a journey through his life, recounting his memories full of travel and adventure.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Blue Ivy in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now this one-month adventure has been turned into a documentary, fittingly titled Banksy Does New York, set to air Nov. 17 on HBO.
Catch Him If You Can: Reliving Banksy’s New York Invasion|Alex Suskind|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thrust into a world of seemingly supernatural monsters, his adventure begins.
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero|Regina Lizik|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The hero first enters a period known as separation, where he leaves his past and enters a new life of adventure.
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero|Regina Lizik|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They appear to see not atrocities but adventure, not gore but glory.
How ISIS’s Colorado Girls Were Caught|Michael Daly|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is a record of adventure, travel, and description, so wonderful that for years it was doubted and its accuracy disbelieved.
A History of the Philippines|David P. Barrows
Our next time up after our Christmas Day experiences were full of incident and adventure.
Bullets & Billets|Bruce Bairnsfather
Never again would he hear that cheery hail of invitation to adventure.
Grenfell: Knight-Errant of the North|Fullerton Waldo
When he awoke the sun was already up, and he hastened to leave the scene of last night's adventure.
Tales of Wonder Every Child Should Know|Various
To him a scene which was frequently painted, an adventure which was written down and could be read, was necessarily a reality.
Renaissance Fancies and Studies|Violet Paget (AKA Vernon Lee)

British Dictionary definitions for adventure

adventure

/ (ədˈvɛntʃə) /

noun

a risky undertaking of unknown outcome

an exciting or unexpected event or course of events

a hazardous financial operation; commercial speculation

obsolete

danger or misadventure
chance

verb

to take a risk or put at risk

(intr foll by into, on, upon) to dare to go or enter (into a place, dangerous activity, etc)

to dare to say (something)he adventured his opinion

Derived Formsadventureful, adjective

Word Origin for adventure

C13: aventure (later altered to adventure after the Latin spelling), via Old French ultimately from Latin advenīre to happen to (someone), arrive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for adventure (1 of 2)

adventure

c.1200, auenture "that which happens by chance, fortune, luck," from Old French aventure (11c.) "chance, accident, occurrence, event, happening," from Latin adventura (res) "(a thing) about to happen," from adventurus, future participle of advenire "to come to, reach, arrive at," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + venire "to come" (see venue).

Meaning developed through "risk/danger" (a trial of one's chances), c.1300, and "perilous undertaking" (late 14c.) and thence to "a novel or exciting incident" (1560s). Earlier it also meant "a wonder, a miracle; accounts of marvelous things" (13c.). The -d- was restored 15c.-16c. Venture is a 15c. variant.

Word Origin and History for adventure (1 of 2)

adventure

c.1300, "to risk the loss of," from adventure (n.). Meaning "to take a chance" is early 14c. Related: Adventured; adventuring.

adventure

noun

verb (used with object), ad·ven·tured, ad·ven·tur·ing.

verb (used without object), ad·ven·tured, ad·ven·tur·ing.

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Origin of adventure

Examples from the Web for adventure

British Dictionary definitions for adventure

adventure

noun

verb

Word Origin for adventure

Word Origin and History for adventure (1 of 2)

adventure

Word Origin and History for adventure (1 of 2)

adventure