adventurer

noun

ad·​ven·​tur·​er əd-ˈven-ch(ə-)rər 

1

: someone who seeks dangerous or exciting experiences : a person who looks for adventures: such as

a

: soldier of fortune

b

: one who engages in risky commercial enterprises for profit

2

somewhat old-fashioned : one who seeks unmerited wealth or position especially by playing on the credulity or prejudice of others

Examples of adventurer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Discovering nonfiction that reads like a story but keeps the scholarship front and center is the great white whale hunt for bookish adventurers. —Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2025

Personality types include the adventurer, skill builder, creative spirit, sunshiner, wonder seeker and dreamer. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

From a peaceful stroll along the Teton Park Road to heart-pounding backcountry descents, this landscape offers winter adventure for every level of adventurer. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025

His Ulysses is an adventurer with an insatiable appetite for knowledge and experience. —Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

adventure entry 1 or adventure entry 2 + -er entry 2, probably after Middle French aventurier, adventurier

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for adventurer

• venturer

Kids Definition

adventurer

noun

ad·​ven·​tur·​er əd-ˈvench-(ə-)rər 

1

: a person who looks for adventures

2

: a person who tries to become wealthy or powerful by trickery