visitor
Americannoun
noun
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a person who pays a visit; caller, guest, tourist, etc
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another name for visitant
Related Words
Visitor, caller, guest, visitant are terms for a person who comes to spend time with or stay with others, or in a place. A visitor often stays some time, for social pleasure, for business, sightseeing, etc.: a visitor at our neighbor's house. A caller comes for a brief (usually) formal visit: The caller merely left her card. A guest is anyone receiving hospitality, and the word has been extended to include anyone who pays for meals and lodging: a welcome guest; a hotel guest. Visitant applies especially to a migratory bird or to a supernatural being: a warbler as a visitant.
Other Word Forms
- previsitor noun
Etymology
Origin of visitor
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English visitour, from Anglo-French; Old French visiteor, from Late Latin vīsitātor, equivalent to Latin vīsitā(re) “to go to see, visit” ( visit ) + -tor -tor
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.
While Wrexham council warned that visitor numbers would "impact the demand for services and budgets of local authorities and other public bodies".
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Oxford Economics estimates that even with a quick end to the conflict the Middle East is facing an 11-27 percent drop in visitor arrivals this year, against previously forecast 13 percent growth.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
The National Parks Service’s law enforcement agency confirmed it responded to an incident at Battery Yates on Thursday “involving a male visitor who reportedly fell from the cliffside into the water.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
The work was commissioned as part of a wider project by the UK government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport to explore the use of digital technology to assess visitor numbers at non-ticketed events.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
He greeted Powell and asked politely how he could help the visitor.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
