en route

American  

[ahn root, en, ahn root] / ɑn ˈrut, ɛn, ɑ̃ ˈrut /

adverb

1. on the way.

   The plane crashed en route from Cairo to Athens.

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en route British  

/ ɑ̃ rut, ɒn ˈruːt /

adverb

1. on or along the way; on the road

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en route Idioms  

1. On or along the way, as in We'll pick up Dan en route to the restaurant, or We can finish our discussion en route. This French term was adopted into English in the late 1700s.

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Etymology

Origin of en route

Borrowed into English from French around 1770–80

Example Sentences

Linsey Smith was particularly difficult to get away at the start en route to 2-15 while Dean took 3-13 and Sophie Ecclestone snared 1-11.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

On an underground train en route to Piccadilly Circus, I got the picture after spotting a newspaper headline.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The Charles de Gaulle, the flagship of the French navy, and its escorts were transiting through the Suez Canal en route to the southern Red Sea, the defence ministry said.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

It’s the reset I reach for when I know groceries are en route and the counters feel a little gritty, a little sticky from a day of recipe testing.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

And as ridiculous as it had seemed en route, Kathy felt good.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers