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

"Mexican authorities have activated their search and rescue protocol for two sailboats en route to Havana as part of the Convoy, which have not yet arrived," a spokesperson for the convoy told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Less than two minutes later, the emergency vehicle en route to United 2384 requests permission to cross the same runway, via taxiway D. After a slight hesitation, the controller gives the green light.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

She was crossing the border en route to Oman, where she lives and owns a beauty salon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

Shipping data from Kpler show 13 LNG cargoes loaded between 10-26 February are currently en route to India, with deliveries continuing through March.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

I bet everything that the police are en route.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas