pilgrimage

1 of 2

noun

pil·​grim·​age ˈpil-grə-mij How to pronounce pilgrimage (audio)
1
: a journey of a pilgrim
especially : one to a shrine or a sacred place
2
: the course of life on earth

pilgrimage

2 of 2

verb

pilgrimaged; pilgrimaging

intransitive verb

: to go on a pilgrimage

Examples of pilgrimage in a Sentence

Noun He made a pilgrimage to Mecca. The family went on a pilgrimage to historical battlefields. The tradition of pilgrimage is important in Islam. The poet's grave site has become a place of pilgrimage. Verb tourists pilgrimaging to all of the traditional destinations across Europe
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The others are the profession of faith; praying five times a day; giving to charity; and making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Scores of visitors make the pilgrimage each spring for Memphis in May International Festival, but the historic city has cemented its year-round appeal with newer additions like multi-use development Crosstown Concourse and an ever-growing culinary scene. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 For nearly three decades, devotees of the automobile have made the same pilgrimage at the beginning of every March; convening on Florida’s Amelia Island to attend its namesake concours d’elegance. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 Devil's Bridge is one of the most popular hikes in Arizona Thousands make the pilgrimage each year to queue up for a photo atop the 50-foot-high arching formation in Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness in Coconino National Forest, just a few miles from Uptown Sedona. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024 Dave Matthews Band will make its annual pilgrimage to Ruoff Music Center for two shows on June 28-29, promoter Live Nation announced Tuesday. Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Jan. 2024 By the time Ontiveros was studying at Sacramento City College in 1966, Chavez was calling for supporters to make the pilgrimage from Kern County to Sacramento to give the plight of farmworkers to lawmakers. Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 The next touched on religious pilgrimages, airports, and commuting to work. David Owen, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2024 The legendary bus where Chris McCandless—the young man made famous by Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild—lived and breathed his last is no longer a difficult pilgrimage in Denali National Park. Susan Howson, Quartz, 11 Feb. 2024
Verb
Access to pilgrimage sites has been a big part of the agenda of the governing Hindu nationalist party. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023 Some pilgrimages enshrine sorrow, like the Ashura in Iraq, which would be the last stop on my journey; others, like fiesta in Bolivia’s Copacabana, are pilgrimages of joy and rapture. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 Enter Email Sign Up Similar crushes have happened all over the world, from a soccer stadium in England to the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia to Halloween festivities in the South Korean capital. Juan Lozano, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Sep. 2023 Nicknamed the sunshine island, this remote landmass is bursting with postcard-perfect fishing villages, white sand beaches, a thriving artistic community, and a restaurant so exceptional that food lovers pilgrimage to it from around the globe. Isabelle Kliger, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2023 Fans of the author regularly pilgrimage to Grant Park to visit statues of Cleary’s most famous literary characters, including the irrepressible Ramona, stalwart Henry Huggins and his faithful dog, Ribsy. oregonlive, 4 Sep. 2023 But though Lower Mustang was reopened to pilgrimage and trekking in 1992, Upper Mustang remains highly restricted. Holly Walters, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2023 Additional content details pilgrimages to a psychedelic temple, AVOD as a solution for struggling indie doc makers, how documentary filmmakers are dealing with tight budgets and the story behind the pandemic relief bailout. William Earl, Variety, 26 July 2023 Soccer megastars have been pilgrimaging to these shores since 1975, when Pelé joined the New York Cosmos of the defunct North American Soccer League. Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 23 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pilgrimage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pilgrimage was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pilgrimage

Cite this Entry

“Pilgrimage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilgrimage. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pilgrimage

noun
pil·​grim·​age
ˈpil-grə-mij
: a journey of a pilgrim
pilgrimage verb

More from Merriam-Webster on pilgrimage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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