visit

[viz-it]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR visit ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

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.

to stay with as a guest.

to come or go to: to visit a church for prayer.

to go to for the purpose of official inspection or examination: a general visiting his troops.

to come to in order to comfort or aid: to visit the sick.

to come upon; assail; afflict: The plague visited London in 1665.

to cause trouble, suffering, etc., to come to: to visit him with sorrows.

to access, as a website.

to inflict, as punishment, vengeance, etc. (often followed by on or upon).

verb (used without object)

to make a visit.

to talk or chat casually: to visit on the phone with a friend.

to inflict punishment.

noun

the act of or an instance of visiting: a nice, long visit.

a chat or talk: We had a good visit on the way back from the grocery store.

a call paid to a person, family, etc.

a stay or sojourn as a guest.

an official inspection or examination.

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.

Origin of visit

1175–1225; Middle English visiten (v.) (< Old French visiter) < Latin vīsitāre, frequentative of vīsere to go to see, itself frequentative of vidēre to see

Related formsin·ter·vis·it, verb (used without object)non·vis·it·ing, adjectivepre·vis·it, noun, verbre·vis·it, verb, nounun·vis·it·ed, adjectiveun·vis·it·ing, adjective

Can be confusedvisit visitation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for visiting

stopping, calling, staying, touring

Examples from the Web for visiting

Contemporary Examples of visiting

In addition to visiting the tomb of John Paul, who died of natural causes in 2005, Agca asked to see his successor, Pope Francis.
Pope-Shooter Ali Agca’s Very Weird Vatican Visit
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 29, 2014
Despite the long-existing travel ban, Americans have already been visiting Cuba by the droves.
Up To Speed: The Cuba Embargo
Nina Strochlic
December 18, 2014
In 2011, he was arrested while visiting his grandmother in Iran, charged with espionage, and sentenced to death.
An American Marine in Iran’s Prisons Goes on Hunger Strike
IranWire
December 18, 2014
The woman had accompanied a friend who was visiting her boyfriend when she met the inmate she would marry.
Saying Yes to the Dress—Behind Bars
Caitlin Dickson
December 8, 2014
Belzberg had grown up learning about WWII and visiting Holocaust museums since she was a young girl.
The Man Who Invented the Word ‘Genocide’
Nina Strochlic
November 19, 2014

Historical Examples of visiting

Now, I must say a word or two about my first impressions on visiting Melbourne.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
For instance, my parents object to Sunday travelling and Sunday visiting.
Life in London
Edwin Hodder
Then of course you would have no objection to my visiting a duchess in the small-pox?
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
In the end I was vexed, and resolved to be even with her by not visiting the wood for some time.
Green Mansions
W. H. Hudson
"Awful night for visiting," Martin announced roughly, as he took off his coat.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius

British Dictionary definitions for visiting

visit

verb -its, -iting or -ited

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

to stay with (someone) as a guest

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

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

(tr; foll by upon or on) to inflict (punishment, etc)the judge visited his full anger upon the defendant

(tr usually foll by with) archaic to afflict or plague (with punishment, etc)

(often foll by with) US and Canadian informal to chat or converse (with someone)

noun

the act or an instance of visiting

a stay as a guest

a professional or official call

a formal call for the purpose of inspection or examination

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 contrabandthe right of visit and search

US and Canadian informal a friendly talk or chat

Derived Formsvisitable, adjective

Word Origin for visit

C13: from Latin vīsitāre to go to see, from vīsere to examine, from vidēre to see

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for visiting

visit

1620s, from visit (v.).

visit

early 13c., "come to (a person) to comfort or benefit," from Old French visiter, from Latin visitare "to go to see, come to inspect," frequentative of visere "behold, visit" (a person or place), from past participle stem of videre "to see, notice, observe" (see vision). Originally of the deity, later of pastors and doctors (c.1300), general sense of "pay a call" is from 1620s. Meaning "come upon, afflict" (in reference to sickness, punishment, etc.) is recorded from mid-14c. Related: Visited; visiting.

Idioms and Phrases with visiting

visit

see pay a call (visit).