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

En route, her car was slowed many times and she thought there had been an accident.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2024

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 Central America, the passengers have been held at Paris-Vatry Airport since Thursday after a dramatic police operation prompted by a tip about a possible human trafficking scheme, authorities said.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 24, 2023

En route to Washington, Biden told reporters he was blunt with Israel about the need to facilitate aid to Gaza.

From Reuters • Oct. 18, 2023

En route, he was collared by military police and hauled back to camp, where he stood trembling before his commander, Kurt Meyer.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti