field trip

American  

noun

1. a trip by students to gain firsthand knowledge away from the classroom, as to a museum, factory, geological area, or environment of certain plants and animals.

2. a trip by a scholar or researcher to gather data firsthand, as to a geological, archaeological, anthropological, or other site.

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field trip British  

noun

1. an expedition, as by a group of students or research workers, to study something at first hand

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Etymology

Origin of field trip

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Democratic Party fundraiser Charles Myers is organizing a post-Maduro field trip to Venezuela with about 20 hedge funders and asset managers to scout investment opportunities in “oil and gas,” “construction,” and “tourism.”

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2026

That was in 1992, and we actually took the cadets on a field trip to Los Alamos where the first nuclear weapon had largely been developed.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025

One morning, Little-Siebold invited me to join his students for a field trip.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Researchers from the Women's History Museum of Zambia discovered during a field trip that the grinding stone was more than just a kitchen tool.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2025

It's probably nothing, and besides, I don't want to get stuck trying to explain about my field trip to Sears for the rest of the night.

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements