itinerant
Americanadjective
-
traveling from place to place, especially on a circuit, as a minister, judge, or sales representative; itinerating; journeying.
- Antonyms:
- settled
-
characterized by such traveling.
itinerant preaching.
-
working in one place for a comparatively short time and then moving on to work in another place, usually as a physical or outdoor laborer; characterized by alternating periods of working and wandering.
an itinerant farm hand.
noun
-
a person who alternates between working and wandering.
-
a person who travels from place to place, especially for duty or business.
adjective
-
itinerating
-
working for a short time in various places, esp as a casual labourer
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of itinerant
1560–70; < Late Latin itinerant- (stem of itinerāns ), present participle of itinerārī to journey, equivalent to itiner- (stem of iter ) journey ( see iter) + -ant- -ant
Explanation
An itinerant is a person who moves from place to place, typically for work, like the itinerant preacher who moves to a new community every few years. Itinerant is pronounced "eye-TIN-er-ant." It might remind you of itinerary, the traveler's schedule that lists flights, hotel check-in times, and other plans. It's no surprise that both words come from the Latin word itinerare, meaning "to travel." Itinerant was first used in the 16th century to describe circuit judges who traveled to faraway courtrooms. Today, almost anyone can be an itinerant.
Vocabulary lists containing itinerant
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Once Upon a Time," Vocabulary from the short story
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Ms. Gerson takes her book’s title from the biblical story of the Exodus—“my father was a wandering Aramean”—to remind us of the itinerant past all humans share.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
The Kennedy Center’s other resident ensembles will soon be dealing with unfamiliar spaces and circumstances as well: After July 4, the Center will close for two years for unspecified renovations, making all its inhabitants itinerant.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Police have described the suspect as an "itinerant" worker who had travelled to Australia on multiple occasions between 2019 and 2024, and had addresses in the states of Victoria and New South Wales.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
“My folks had Stanford in mind for me, not an itinerant troubadour. But they could also clearly see that I was following my bliss.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2026
Tall, charismatic, and quick with a smile, Howard Vaughan worked as an itinerant bellman at luxury hotels, going south to Florida in the winter and north to upstate New York and Vermont in the summer.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
