venture

1 of 2

verb

ven·​ture ˈven(t)-shər How to pronounce venture (audio)
ventured; venturing ˈven(t)-sh(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce venture (audio)

intransitive verb

: to proceed especially in the face of danger

transitive verb

1
: to expose to hazard : risk, gamble
ventured a buck or two on the race
2
: to undertake the risks and dangers of : brave
ventured the stormy sea
3
: to offer at the risk of rebuff, rejection, or censure
venture an opinion
venturer noun

venture

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an undertaking involving chance, risk, or danger
especially : a speculative business enterprise
b
: a venturesome act
2
: something (such as money or property) at stake in a speculative venture
3
obsolete : destiny, fortune, chance
Phrases
at a venture
: at random
a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king1 Kings 22:34 (King James Version)

Examples of venture in a Sentence

Verb We ventured out into the woods. He nervously ventured out onto the ice. The pups never ventured far from home. The company is venturing into the computer software industry. a writer venturing on a new project The group's lead singer is now venturing on a solo career. It's important to plan carefully before venturing on a long journey. Noun a venture into the unknown their latest business venture failed big-time
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Drivers were asked to be prepared to slow down and merge safely when venturing through work zones. The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024 Some of them will venture further into the Slabs, but most of them will turn around and head back to Babylon. Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024 But with parent notification, the board majority ventured into its most divisive issue, one that critics said would harm students and supporters said could save them. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Later this year, Nelson and Bob Dylan will venture off together on their epic Outlaw Music Festival Tour, with Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, John Mellencamp and Billy Strings along for the ride. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 Yet, Andrews defends his position that Black restaurant owners can venture out of the confines of Soul Food, Caribbean and African cuisines and fast-food haunts. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 But with polls showing that a plurality of Americans now think Israel has gone too far in its Gaza campaign, the White House appears to be getting the message and venturing into more forceful expressions of frustration with Israel. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024 Her modeling debut came a few months after Evan revealed on his Instagram that Jagger had also ventured into music. Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Grosz was at first reluctant to venture into teaching, but renowned Detroit chef Brian Polcyn encouraged him to share his gift with a new generation of cooks. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
His father, who ran a big Scandinavian erotic-film company, helped bankroll his daughter-in-law’s new venture. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Rodriguez had only funded one previous music venture, the music-categorization firm EchoNest, which was purchased by Spotify to fuel its algorithm. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2024 Beyond his involvement in media, Koo has diversified his interests into other lucrative ventures, including his acquisition of a high-end Chinese restaurant, Ming House, as well as savvy real estate investments. Faye Bradley, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 This week saw the big reveal of her new venture, American Riviera Orchard, with a slick logo unveiled in nine tiles on Instagram. Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2024 Single Thread Married couple Kyle and Katina Connaughton run the Single Thread venture, with Kyle heading up the kitchen and Katina leading the 24-acre farm. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 With multi-dimensional characters, juicy storylines and Black culture front and center, The Gates will have impactful representation, one of the key touchstones of the venture. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 With multi-dimensional characters, juicy storylines and Black culture front and center, ‘The Gates’ will have impactful representation, one of the key touchstones of the venture. Joe Otterson, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Departing momentarily from the familiar jazz stylings of the band Mr. Miss, Liu Lian ventures into the realm of self-expression as a solo artist, unveiling a profound understanding of self-love through forays into new musical genres like dream pop. Billboard China, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English venteren, aphetic form of aventuren, auntren "to occur by chance, expose to risk, take a chance" — more at adventure entry 2

Noun

Middle English, aphetic form of aventure — more at adventure entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of venture was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near venture

Cite this Entry

“Venture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venture. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

venture

1 of 2 verb
ven·​ture ˈven-chər How to pronounce venture (audio)
ventured; venturing ˈvench-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce venture (audio)
1
: to expose to risk
ventured a dollar on the lottery
2
: to face the risks and dangers of
ventured the stormy sea
3
: to offer at the risk of being criticized
venture an opinion
venture to disagree
4
: to go ahead in spite of danger
ventured down the cliff
venturer noun

venture

2 of 2 noun
: an undertaking involving chance, risk, or danger
especially : a speculative business enterprise

Legal Definition

venture

noun
ven·​ture
ˈven-chər
: an undertaking involving chance, risk, or danger
especially : a speculative business enterprise see also joint venture

More from Merriam-Webster on venture

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