excursion
Americannoun
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excursions
plural
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a short trip or outing to some place, usually for a special purpose and with the intention of a prompt return.
a pleasure excursion; a scientific excursion.
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a trip on a train, ship, etc., at a reduced rate.
weekend excursions to mountain resorts.
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the group of persons making such a journey.
an excursion of tourists.
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a deviation or digression.
excursions into futile philosophizing.
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Physics. the displacement of a body or a point from a mean position or neutral value, as in an oscillation.
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an accidental increase in the power level of a reactor, usually forcing its emergency shutdown.
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Machinery.
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the range of stroke of any moving part.
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the stroke itself.
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Obsolete. a sally or raid.
verb (used without object)
adjective
noun
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a short outward and return journey, esp for relaxation, sightseeing, etc; outing
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a group of people going on such a journey
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(modifier) of or relating to special reduced rates offered on certain journeys by rail
an excursion ticket
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a digression or deviation; diversion
an excursion into politics
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(formerly) a raid or attack
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physics
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a movement from an equilibrium position, as in an oscillation
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the magnitude of this displacement
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the normal movement of a movable bodily organ or part from its resting position, such as the lateral movement of the lower jaw
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machinery the locus of a point on a moving part, esp the deflection of a whirling shaft
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of excursion
First recorded in 1565–75, excursion is from the Latin word excursiōn- (stem of excursiō ). See excursus, -ion
Explanation
An excursion is taken more for pleasure than for practical reasons. Your business trip, when you spent most of the week waiting in airports and adjusting to different time zones, does not count as an excursion. The Latin root for excursion is excurrere, meaning "to run out." So if you run out for a bit to get some fresh air, you've gone on an excursion. If you leave specifically to buy milk from the corner store and end up swimming in a stream, you've probably taken an excursion into the woods.
Vocabulary lists containing excursion
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Surviving Hitler
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
Maxime Fallet, who works at a Doubs riverboat excursion company, fears the lake is "destined to disappear", for lack of a plan to save it.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
There is a disclaimer before each episode stating that their cross-country excursion is funded by a nonprofit and no taxpayer dollars were used to pay for the series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
On TV, actors Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds’ excursion into the wild world of British Premier football, “Welcome to Wrexham,” recently expanded to include a women’s team, the Red Dragons.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
The novel spares none of the details of this formative excursion, winningly capturing the singalongs and relay races, the mountain hikes and mess-hall protocols.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
This last part was not true; in fact, Harry had seen his father use the spell on Snape, but he had never told Ron and Hermione about that particular excursion into the Pensieve.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
The problem for the couple was that they had booked accommodation and excursions separately, and that is money they have lost.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Miami’s Runway 30 wasn’t equipped with a safeguard that can prevent accidents officially classified as runway excursions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
He added restaurants, including the steakhouse Beefbar, as well as a spa, wine tastings with the property’s sommelier, horseback rides along the dunes and bike excursions through rice fields.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
When Netflix announced the first-ever Chef’s Table Food Festival, bringing 70 internationally acclaimed chefs to Park City for four days of dinners, demonstrations and excursions, I felt something between excitement and apprehension.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell—also, Dumbledore’s still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
