adventure

[ad-ven-cher]

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.

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

Related Words for adventure

exploit, feat, trip, experience, scene, peril, happening, undertaking, jeopardy, incident, hazard, endangerment, chance, venture, enterprise, contingency, speculation, occurrence, emprise

Examples from the Web for adventure

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
They appear to see not atrocities but adventure, not gore but glory.
How ISIS’s Colorado Girls Were Caught
Michael Daly
October 22, 2014

Historical Examples of adventure

At 7.30 my brother and Windich returned, and were surprised to hear of our adventure.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
Even Hope's strong constitution felt the shock of this adventure.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Where would be the fun of such an adventure if you had it alone?
The Trail Book
Mary Austin
For was not this the adventure of which she had so often dreamed?
The Dream
Emile Zola
Well, and aren't you as fond of adventure as anybody in the wide world?
The Foolish Lovers
St. John G. Ervine

British Dictionary definitions for adventure

adventure

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

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.

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