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

See Examples For:

en route

In court testimony Monday, it was revealed that Shakur was conscious after the shooting en route to the hospital but did not cooperate with authorities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

But, having set her sights on the outdoor record, which has stood since 1983, Hodgkinson instead had to overcome several setbacks en route to her latest podium.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

The smaller plane then flew to the U.K., where Trump stopped en route to Washington, under a nondescript call sign.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

"There's an icy shell, there's water underneath, and there's all this speculation about how that water can come from deep underground and make its way all the way up without freezing en route," Ojha said.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

I have no idea what my efficiency would be on the nastier land en route to Ares 4.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir