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Synonyms

arrival

American  
[uh-rahy-vuhl] / əˈraɪ vəl /

noun

  • arrivals
    plural
  1. an act of arriving; a coming.

    His arrival was delayed by traffic.

    Synonyms:
    advent
  2. the reaching or attainment of any object or condition.

    arrival at a peace treaty.

  3. the person or thing that arrives or has arrived.

    First arrivals will be the first seated.


arrival British  
/ əˈraɪvəl /

noun

  1. the act or time of arriving

  2. a person or thing that arrives or has arrived

  3. the reaching of a condition or objective

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of arrival

1350–1400; arrive + -al 2; replacing Middle English arivaille < Middle French


Explanation

An arrival is an entrance or an appearance — the act of showing up somewhere. Your arrival at your grandparents' house will no doubt be marked by great enthusiasm and many hugs. The process of arriving, or first getting to your destination, is arrival. Your sister's arrival at the airport might be delayed by bad weather, and your new kitten's arrival will be an exciting event for your whole family. Another kind of arrival is a person who's just arrived: "I easily picked her out from all the bus station arrivals."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing arrival

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.

See Examples For:

For 23-year-old Sol Burgos, his arrival is a source of solace.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Indeed, since Konsa's arrival from Aston Villa for £55m, he and Gabriel Magalhaes have struck up a formidable partnership, with Arsenal again boasting the league's tightest defence, conceding just five goals in nine games.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

The luminous LED lighting in public rooms and corridors hints at a UFO arrival and pays homage to artists James Turrell and Dan Flavin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

Hera's arrival will give scientists an opportunity to examine the results of a groundbreaking planetary defense experiment conducted four years earlier.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

Too late, I realized my misstep—Anna May had wanted to use my arrival as an excuse to end the interview, and I’d botched that for her.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

This month, the opening of a new outpost of Canyon Ranch, the wellness resort popular with celebrities and spa junkies, kicks off a series of luxury arrivals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Meanwhile, religious groups and nongovernment organizations were chipping in money and support for the new arrivals.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

Nigerian authorities have announced enhanced screenings for international airport arrivals.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

It described her daughters’ arrivals and noted that her husband had continued to appear outside the home.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026

People were shouting at the new arrivals, dust obscured the desert sun, and the children of the oasis were bursting with excitement at the arrival of the strangers.

From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

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