adventure

1 of 2

noun

ad·​ven·​ture əd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce adventure (audio)
1
a
: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks
a book recounting his many bold adventures
b
: the encountering of risks
the spirit of adventure
2
: an exciting or remarkable experience
an adventure in exotic dining
They were looking for adventure.
3
: an enterprise involving financial risk
wanted to pay off her debts before embarking on any new financial adventures

adventure

2 of 2

verb

adventured; adventuring əd-ˈven-ch(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce adventure (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to expose to danger or loss : venture
… those who adventured their persons and lives risked all they had for a slender reward.Joseph Conrad
2
: to venture upon (see venture entry 1 sense 2) : try
… the task was always one of great difficulty and art—so much so, that it could seldom be adventured in rough or windy weather.Edward Bulwer-Lytton

intransitive verb

1
: to proceed despite risk
… people going away to adventure upon the sea …Virginia Woolf
2
: to take the risk
… I would adventure for such merchandiseWilliam Shakespeare

Examples of adventure in a Sentence

Noun The field trip was an adventure for the students. He told us about his camping adventures. They were looking for adventure. Verb adventured all his savings in a very risky investment scheme if I had to adventure a guess, I'd say she's about 35
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Just after high school graduation, Evans married a military man, which led to two decades of adventure and lots of moves. Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 To make the Yoto Player more travel-friendly—and keep it safe from tumbles—check out the silicone adventure jacket, which is sold separately. Katrina Cossey, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 Broken Bow Outdoor adventures abound in Broken Bow, a town in the foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Following the snowy adventure, Cooper shared highlights from the winter getaway in a series of posts on Instagram. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 An art studio, an adventure center, a kids’ club, and a spectacular spa offering holistic treatments based on local healing practices will ensure guests of all ages stay busy and entertained on site. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 Bottle of champagne: $200 Extreme adventure package: $500. EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 The sci-fi family kung fu adventure would have broken our collective brains if not for Yeoh's heroic and grounded performance. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Follow his latest dining adventures on Instagram @keithpandolfi or via the At the Table newsletter. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Altitude sickness, which most commonly refers to acute mountain sickness, presents a significant challenge to those traveling to and adventuring in high-altitude destinations. Brian Strickland, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024 By now we’re used to listening to music for one another, in a way that privileges adventure over taste. Tim Davis, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2024 From adventuring around the world to bringing home their fur babies following Zack's allergy ordeal, these two weathered a lot together and have only come out stronger. Joelle Goldstein, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024 As the fall leaves finally drop to the ground and most people start digging out their hats and mittens, skiers and riders are sharing long-range forecasts with their group chats, pouring over new trail maps, and thinking about which backcountry adventures to take this year. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2023 Former National Geographic Society executive vice president Terry Garcia acts as senior consultant, helping select locations (based on both conservation opportunities and adventuring wow factor) and support the missions. Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 21 Jan. 2024 Once your camp-building and other duties are complete, the week is yours to adventure and explore. Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024 Early on, Louise quit her job as a school teacher, and took up the life of an adventuring paleontologist. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 4 Jan. 2024 After his North Africa adventures as a desert navigator, Mr. Sadler returned to England and in 1944 parachuted into France after the Allied invasion of Normandy. Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adventure.' 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

Noun

Middle English aventure, adventure (with -d- restored from Latin) "fortune, chance, occurrence, risk, enterprise, wonder," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Vulgar Latin *adventūra "what will happen," going back to Latin, feminine singular (originally neuter plural) of adventūrus, future participle of advenīre "to arrive at, reach, arise, develop" — more at advent

Verb

alteration (with -d- restored from Latin) of Middle English aventuren, auntren "to happen, expose to risk, take a chance," borrowed from Anglo-French aventurer, verb derivative of aventure "chance, occurrence, risk" — more at adventure entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near adventure

Cite this Entry

“Adventure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adventure. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

adventure

1 of 2 noun
ad·​ven·​ture əd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce adventure (audio)
1
: an action involving unknown risks or dangers
2
: the encountering of risks
the spirit of adventure
3
: an unusual or exciting experience
the field trip was an adventure

adventure

2 of 2 verb
adventured; adventuring
-ˈvench-(ə-)riŋ
1
2
: to venture upon
explorers adventuring the wilderness

More from Merriam-Webster on adventure

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