voyage
Americannoun
-
a course of travel or passage, especially a long journey by water to a distant place.
- Synonyms:
- cruise
-
a passage through air or space, as a flight in an airplane or space vehicle.
-
a journey or expedition from one place to another by land.
-
Often voyages. journeys or travels as the subject of a written account, or the account itself.
the voyages of Marco Polo.
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Obsolete. an enterprise or undertaking.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a journey, travel, or passage, esp one to a distant land or by sea or air
-
obsolete an ambitious project
verb
Synonym Usage
See trip 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of voyage
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ve(i)age, viage, voyage, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin viāticum “travel-money”; see viaticum
Explanation
If someone tells you "bon voyage!" they mean have a good trip. Voyage means trip in French but in English, we use it to mean a long journey. Though voyage is usually used literally to mean a long and exciting journey or a trip that involves sailing such as a cruise, it can be used figuratively as well. Researching your family tree might become a voyage of self-discovery, taking you places you don't expect and teaching you more about yourself than you thought possible.
Vocabulary lists containing voyage
Words Every Pirate Should Know
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The Mayflower Compact (1620)
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 3
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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.
Oceanwide Expeditions is dealing with a deadly hantavirus outbreak that occurred on a recent voyage of its MV Hondius ship.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
Three people died on the voyage and nine cases confirmed by tests have been identified.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
But the majors are not making the transatlantic voyage this time around.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
The World Health Organization believes the first infection occurred before the start of the voyage, followed by transmission between humans on board the vessel.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
“You’re not going to give me any trouble on this voyage, are you, boy?”
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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.
