safari

American  

[suh-fahr-ee] / səˈfɑr i /

noun

• safaris
  plural

1. a journey or expedition, for hunting, exploration, or investigation, especially in eastern Africa.

2. the hunters, guides, vehicles, equipment, etc., forming such an expedition.

3. any long or adventurous journey or expedition.

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verb (used without object)

safaried, safariing

1. to go on a safari.

safari British  

/ səˈfɑːrɪ /

noun

1. an overland journey or hunting expedition, esp in Africa

2. any recreational journey or expedition

3. the people, animals, etc, that go on the expedition

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• safaris
  plural

Etymology

Origin of safari

1885–90; < Swahili < Arabic safar journey

Explanation

A trip to watch wild animals — especially in Africa — is called a safari. If you travel to South Africa to photograph elephants in their natural habitat, you're on safari. In Swahili, safari means "journey" or "expedition." The word has been used in English since the late 19th century to talk about hunting trips to Africa, the clothing these hunters would wear, and more recently, a journey taken to observe or photograph African animals. These days when someone talks about going on safari, they are probably planning to visit an African wildlife refuge or park.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

safari safaris safaried safariing

One of them, Steve Edwards, a local safari camp manager, found new, productive sites on the shore of Lake Kariba, the artificial lake which forms most of the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

For Dani, it's to go on an African safari.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Kershaw admitted five counts of fraud after colleagues spotted Facebook posts of her on safari in Africa, and on trips to Paris, Tuscany and Dubai.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

NAIROBI—Uber’s new Kenyan safari business is stumbling as local guides push back against the idea of the ride-hailing giant muscling into a trade they have practiced for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

He treats all the important people in East Africa: the corrupt politicians, the actors and actresses who get sick on safari, the decayed English-African nobility.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Plus: Plus: Analysts can’t find the oil the U.S. says is flowing through Hormuz, Californian diesel prices are rising again, and safaris go electric.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Rarely if ever do these minimum wage safaris net lasting structural change at the companies featured on the show.

From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2026

He runs beginner shoots at Hogganfield and other lochs in central Scotland, advancing to island tours and even international safaris.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

Heavy rains in 2025 mean 2026 could be a banner year for wildlife spotting, as water flows out over the delta, reopening waterways to traditional mokoro boat safaris.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025

I got the roasting heat and the crocodiles and the snakes and the long safaris up-country, selling Shell oil to the men who ran the diamond mines and the sisal plantations.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl

Particularly proud of his medical knowledge is Courier Wagner, who has safaried with many a big game expedition through Africa without a single case of malaria or sleeping sickness.

From Time Magazine Archive

In Kampala, Uganda, where the dollar used to bring 10 shillings on the black market, safariing Americans were lucky to get five.

From Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

• trek