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.

---

en route British  

/ ɑ̃ rut, ɒn ˈruːt /

adverb

1. on or along the way; on the road

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of en route

Borrowed into English from French around 1770–80

Example Sentences

En route home aboard Air Force One, he said the deal included "a promise of 750 planes, which will be by far the largest order ever, if they do a good job with the 200".

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

En route back to the airport, the plane’s pilots dumped thousands of gallons of jet fuel over Cudahy and multiple schools.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

En route to record U.S. sales in 2023, Hyundai, Kia and their Genesis luxury brand together sold more electric vehicles in the United States than any automaker save Tesla.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024

En route to reaching the last four for the first time, the Matildas have captivated Australia, winning over fans across the country and thriving in front of their record-breaking home crowds.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2023

En route, traveling the gradient of bombykol, he notes the presence of other males, heading in the same direction, all in a good mood, inclined to race for the sheer sport of it.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas