visit

American  

[viz-it] / ˈvɪz ɪt /

verb (used with object)

1. to go to and stay with (a person or family) or at (a place) for a short time for reasons of sociability, politeness, business, curiosity, etc..

   to visit a friend; to visit clients; to visit Paris.

2. to stay with as a guest.

3. to come or go to.

   to visit a church for prayer.

4. to go to for the purpose of official inspection or examination.

   a general visiting his troops.

5. to come to in order to comfort or aid.

   to visit the sick.

6. to come upon; assail; afflict.

   The plague visited London in 1665.

7. to cause trouble, suffering, etc., to come to.

   to visit him with sorrows.

8. to access, as a website.

9. to inflict, as punishment, vengeance, etc. (often followed by on orupon ).

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verb (used without object)

1. to make a visit.

2. to talk or chat casually.

   to visit on the phone with a friend.

3. to inflict punishment.

noun

1. the act of or an instance of visiting.

   a nice, long visit.

2. a chat or talk.

   We had a good visit on the way back from the grocery store.

3. a call paid to a person, family, etc.

4. a stay or sojourn as a guest.

5. an official inspection or examination.

6. the act of an officer of a belligerent nation in boarding a vessel in order to ascertain the nature of its cargo, its nationality, etc..

   the right of visit and search.

visit British  

/ ˈvɪzɪt /

verb

1. to go or come to see (a person, place, etc)

2. to stay with (someone) as a guest

3. to go or come to (an institution, place, etc) for the purpose of inspecting or examining

4. (tr) (of a disease, disaster, etc) to assail; afflict

5. (tr; foll by upon or on) to inflict (punishment, etc)

   the judge visited his full anger upon the defendant

6. archaic to afflict or plague (with punishment, etc)

7. informal (often foll by with) to chat or converse (with someone)

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noun

1. the act or an instance of visiting

2. a stay as a guest

3. a professional or official call

4. a formal call for the purpose of inspection or examination

5. international law the right of an officer of a belligerent state to stop and search neutral ships in war to verify their nationality and ascertain whether they carry contraband

   the right of visit and search

6. informal a friendly talk or chat

visit Idioms  

1. see pay a call (visit).

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Other Word Forms

• intervisit verb (used without object)
• nonvisiting adjective
• previsit noun
• revisit verb
• unvisited adjective
• unvisiting adjective
• visitable adjective

Etymology

Origin of visit

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English visiten (verb), from Old French visiter, from Latin vīsitāre “to see repeatedly,” from vīsere “to go to see,” from vidēre “to see”; noun derivative of the verb

Example Sentences

In the video, the Oxford band showed a visit they had made to Nasa headquarters at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida - during which the band sat in the Orion space capsule.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Vance will be accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner as he becomes the first US vice president to visit Pakistan since Joe Biden in 2011.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Swinney announced the first refusal policy ahead of a campaign visit to Inverness, saying it could help those struggling to get on the property ladder.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov hailed the "special nature" of relations with Cuba on a visit Thursday, where he met President Miguel Diaz-Canel as tensions simmer between Washington and energy-starved Havana.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

From the look on Ma’s face, I could see she hadn’t been expecting a visit.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• call
• call on
• frequent
• hit
• inspect
• play
• see
• stay at
• talk
• tour