globetrotter

American  

[glohb-trot-er] / ˈgloʊbˌtrɒt ər /

noun

1. a person who travels regularly or frequently to countries all over the world.

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globetrotter British  

/ ˈɡləʊbˌtrɒtə /

noun

1. a habitual worldwide traveller, esp a tourist or businessman

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Other Word Forms

• globetrotting noun

Etymology

Origin of globetrotter

First recorded in 1870–75; globe + trotter

Explanation

A globetrotter is a world traveler. Your uncle the globetrotter might be famous in your family for giving lengthy slideshows of photos from his travels. You're not a globetrotter if you never leave your neighborhood, and you're not a globetrotter if you visited Paris once, years ago. Globetrotter is an informal word for someone who travels a lot, and to many varied places around the world. The earliest use of globetrotter, from the 1870s, sometimes specified a person who tries to set or beat a record for the most ground covered or countries visited.

Example Sentences

SANTIAGO, Chile — Jimmer Fredette, a different kind of basketball globetrotter, continues to draw attention even far from the NBA.

From Washington Times • Oct. 24, 2023

Short of buying a globetrotter a vacation, you may be stumped as to what to get the travel enthusiast in your life.

From Fox News • Nov. 28, 2021

“It really was a very great feather to have in your cap that you had been a diplomat. But now everybody is a globetrotter, so it doesn’t stand out as that important of a credential.”

From Time • Dec. 13, 2016

For a six-figure payout, it has to be viral fodder -- like the Canadian globetrotter who, while trying to take a selfie, got kicked in the face by a passing train conductor in Peru.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2016

This suggestion was from the beautiful blonde with bronze hair who stood beside her under a tan parasol held by a fresh-faced globetrotter.

From The Vision Splendid by Raine, William MacLeod

Related Words

• world traveler