journey

1 of 2

noun

jour·​ney ˈjər-nē 

plural journeys

1

: something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another

the journey from youth to maturity

a journey through time

2

: an act or instance of traveling from one place to another : trip

a three-day journey

going on a long journey

3

chiefly dialectal : a day's travel

journey

2 of 2

verb

journeyed; journeying

intransitive verb

: to go on a journey : travel

transitive verb

: to travel over or through

journeyer noun

Did you know?

The Latin adjective diurnus means “pertaining to a day, daily”; English diurnal stems ultimately from this word. When Latin developed into French, diurnus became a noun, jour, meaning simply “day” The medieval French derivative journee meant either “day” or “something done during the day,” such as work or travel. Middle English borrowed journee as journey in both senses, but only the sense “a day’s travel” survived into modern usage. In modern English, journey now refers to a trip without regard to the amount of time it takes. The verb journey developed from the noun and is first attested in the 14th century.

Synonyms of journey

Noun

• trip
• expedition
• trek

Verb

• travel
• trek
• voyage
• trip
• tour
• pilgrimage

Examples of journey in a Sentence

Noun

a long journey across the country

She's on the last leg of a six-month journey through Europe.

We wished her a safe and pleasant journey.

Verb

She was the first woman to journey into space.

an intense yearning to journey to distant lands

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Chase, meanwhile, gives Melissa a winning mix of exasperation and heart, making her emotional journey feel earned even amid the absurdity. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026

But its sense of Kevin’s journey from a shy, kept cat to one ready for whatever life hands him is clear, a North Star to guide all the otherwise enjoyable chaos. —Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026

Verb

In Season 2, after finding out survivors — including his wife, Teri (Enuka Okuma) — remain in the outside world in the Season 1 finale, Xavier (Brown) embarks on a quest to find her, journeying out from the Paradise bunker for the first time since the planet’s destruction. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026

Through immersive sound, travel, and intimate interviews, Baudelaire journeys from Benin to Haiti and across the Haitian diaspora to uncover the true story of Vodou — a story of resistance, faith, and cultural survival that’s often been distorted by fear and colonial mythmaking. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French jurnee day, day's journey, from jur day, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin, neuter of diurnus of the day — more at journal entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for journey

• burnie
• gurney
• tourney
• attorney
• mcburney

Kids Definition

journey

1 of 2 noun

jour·​ney ˈjər-nē 

plural journeys

: travel from one place to another

journey

2 of 2 verb

journeyed; journeying

: to go on a journey

journeyer noun

Etymology

Noun

Middle English journey "a trip, travel," from early French journee "day's work, day's journey," from jour "day," derived from Latin diurnus "of a day, daily," from dies "day" — related to diary, journal

Word Origin

The Latin word dies means "day," and diurnus means "of a day." From the word diurnus came the early French jour, meaning "day," and journee, meaning "a day's work, a day's travel." Journee was borrowed into Middle English with both of its meanings, but only the second one, "a day's travel," came into widespread use. The modern form journey now refers to travel without regard to the amount of time taken. The English word journal can also be traced back to the Latin dies. From the adjective diurnus, the word diurnalis, meaning "daily," was formed. This was taken into French as journal. In this form it was borrowed into Middle English. It was at first also used to mean "daily," but it is now found only as a noun in English.