passenger

American  

[pas-uhn-jer] / ˈpæs ən dʒər /

noun

1. a person who is traveling in an automobile, bus, train, airplane, or other conveyance, especially one who is not the driver, pilot, or the like.

2. a wayfarer; traveler.

---

passenger British  

/ ˈpæsɪndʒə /

noun

1. 1. a person travelling in a car, train, boat, etc, not driven by him

   2. ( as modifier )

      a passenger seat

2. a member of a group or team who is a burden on the others through not participating fully in the work

---

Other Word Forms

• nonpassenger noun

Etymology

Origin of passenger

1300–50; Middle English passager < Middle French, noun use of passag ( i ) er (adj.) passing, temporary; passage ¹, -ier ²; for -n- messenger, harbinger, scavenger, popinjay

Example Sentences

That is especially so when factoring in the air cargo market, which has been more resilient than expected, and the robust rebound seen in the company’s passenger traffic, Sum says.

From The Wall Street Journal

"On two other flights, two of the passengers, respectively, were women who would be possible witnesses in a Maxwell case."

From BBC

Zac, who was sitting in the passenger seat, managed to take hold of the steering wheel and guide the vehicle into the central reservation.

From BBC

General Motors GM -0.34%decrease; red down pointing triangle and federal auto regulators are probing the crash of a pickup that injured a passenger after its air bag ruptured.

From The Wall Street Journal

The head of Libya's armed forces and four other passengers died on Tuesday when their business jet crashed shortly after taking off from Ankara, officials in Turkey's capital and Tripoli said.

From Barron's

Related Words

• commuter
• customer
• fare
• patron
• pilgrim
• rider
• tourist
• traveler