voyage

[voi-ij]

noun

1. a course of travel or passage, especially a long journey by water to a distant place.

   Synonyms: cruise

2. a passage through air or space, as a flight in an airplane or space vehicle.

3. a journey or expedition from one place to another by land.

4. Often voyages. journeys or travels as the subject of a written account, or the account itself.

   the voyages of Marco Polo.

5. Obsolete.,  an enterprise or undertaking.

verb (used without object)

voyaged, voyaging 

1. to make or take a voyage; travel; journey.

verb (used with object)

voyaged, voyaging 

1. to traverse by a voyage.

   to voyage the seven seas.

voyage

/ ˈvɔɪɪdʒ /

noun

1. a journey, travel, or passage, esp one to a distant land or by sea or air

2. obsolete,  an ambitious project

verb

1. to travel over or traverse (something)

   we will voyage to Africa

Other Word Forms

• voyager noun
• outvoyage verb (used with object)
• revoyage noun
• unvoyaging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of voyage¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ve(i)age, viage, voyage, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin viāticum “travel-money”; viaticum

Word History and Origins

Origin of voyage¹

C13: from Old French veiage, from Latin viāticum provision for travelling, from viāticus concerning a journey, from via a way

Idioms and Phrases

see maiden voyage.

Synonym Study

See trip ¹.

Example Sentences

Commercial transits through the Northwest Passage hit a record high in 2023 with 13 voyages, according to a tally by the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The cleric’s diplomats would voyage forth, brandishing their leader’s skepticism as a means of extracting concessions from foreigners.

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The ship, which is used to teach cadets about traditional navigation techniques, visits foreign ports on goodwill voyages.

Read more on Barron's

Days before the Champagne bottle was broken over the bow for its maiden voyage last week, I boarded the ship to watch the final preparations.

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The novel centers on an Ahab-like ship captain who leads a crew of Caribbean turtle fishermen on a tragic voyage.

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