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Synonyms

arrive

1 American  
[uh-rahyv] / əˈraɪv /

verb (used without object)

arrived, arriving

  1. to come to a certain point in the course of travel; reach one's destination.

    He finally arrived in Rome.

  2. to come to be near or present in time.

    The moment to act has arrived.

  3. to attain a position of success, power, achievement, fame, or the like.

    After years of hard work, she has finally arrived in her field.

  4. Archaic. to happen.

    It arrived that the master had already departed.

verb (used with object)

arrived, arriving

  1. Obsolete. to reach; come to.

verb phrase

  1. arrive at

    1. to come to a place after traveling; reach.

    2. to attain the objective in a course or process.

      to arrive at a conclusion.
arrivé 2 American  
[ar-ee-vey, a-ree-vey] / ˌær iˈveɪ, a riˈveɪ /

noun

plural

arrivés

  1. a person who has swiftly gained wealth, status, success, or fame.

arrive British  
/ əˈraɪv /

verb

  1. to come to a certain place during or after a journey; reach a destination

  2. (foll by at) to agree upon; reach

    to arrive at a decision

  3. to occur eventually

    the moment arrived when pretence was useless

  4. informal (of a baby) to be born

  5. informal to attain success or gain recognition

"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

  • arriver noun
  • unarrived adjective
  • unarriving adjective

Etymology

Origin of arrive1

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English a(r)riven, from Old French a(r)river, from Vulgar Latin arrīpāre (unrecorded) “to come to land,” verb derivative of Latin ad rīpam “to the riverbank”; river 1

Origin of arrivé2

First recorded in 1920–25; from French: literally, “arrived,” noun use of past participle of arriver “to arrive”; arrive

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.

Albanese has previously sought to reassure motorists that shipments of fuel continue to arrive in Australia, and petrol shortages in rural towns stem from panic buying and distribution bottlenecks.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

The chancellor has signalled that help with energy bills - to be targeted at "those who need it most" - will not arrive until the autumn.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The analytics firm Sightline Climate projects 30% to 50% of data-center capacity slated to come online this year is unlikely to arrive on time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Many states allow ballots from military and overseas voters to arrive after Election Day so long as they were mailed before the deadline.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

She took a deep breath and began, en français: “Good day, mister! I here arrive in look of job. If you please!”

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.