arrive

1 of 2

verb

ar·​rive ə-ˈrīv 

arrived; arriving

intransitive verb

1

a

: to reach a destination

The train arrived late.

b

: to make an appearance : to come upon the scene

The crowd became silent when the officers arrived.

2

: to be near in time : come

The moment has arrived.

3

informal : to achieve success

After years of climbing the corporate ladder, he felt he had finally arrived.

4

archaic : happen

arriver noun

arrivé

2 of 2

noun

ar·​ri·​vé ˌa-ri-ˈvā 

: one who has risen rapidly to success, power, or fame

Phrases

arrive at

: to reach by effort or thought

arrived at a decision

Synonyms

Verb

• appear
• come
• get in
• get through
• land
• show up
• turn up

Examples of arrive in a Sentence

Verb

He arrived home at six o'clock.

We had some dinner before arriving at the station.

When do you expect them to arrive in Boston?

Their flight is due to arrive at 11:30.

The train from New York is now arriving.

They arrived late at the party.

The mail hasn't arrived yet.

The new version of the software has finally arrived in stores.

There's always a lot to do when spring arrives.

When is their baby expected to arrive?

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Young student’s killing shook the community Less than 15 minutes after Hubert arrived at the Crogman School for Negroes that fateful evening on June 15, 1930, several White men attacked Hubert, falsely accusing him of insulting a White woman. —Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 25 May 2025

Police and emergency crews already on campus for the ceremony aided the injured while more help arrived, the school said. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 25 May 2025

Noun

Many of Hollywood's greatest arrive dressed to the nines with their hair in braids—think Doechii, Tracee Ellis Ross, Zoe Kravitz, Zendaya, and Alicia Keys—ushering in an era of unapologetic Blackness by honoring our hair in all its glory. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 4 May 2025

Following a series of history-spanning one-shots where Godzilla battled various Marvel heroes, the epic showdown fans have been waiting for arrives this July in GODZILLA DESTROYS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE. —David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ariven, arriven "to reach the end of a journey by sea, disembark, reach a destination," borrowed from Anglo-French ariver, arriver "to bring (a person, a ship) to shore, to reach a destination by ship, disembark" (also continental Old French), going back to Vulgar Latin *arrīpāre, parasynthetic derivative from Latin ad rīpam "up to the shore, at the shore" from ad "to, at" + rīpam, accusative of rīpa "bank, shore"; (sense 3) borrowed from French arriver (attested in this sense since the 18th century) — more at at entry 1, river

Noun

borrowed from French, past participle of arriver "to reach a destination, achieve success," going back to Old French ariver "to reach a destination by ship" — more at arrive entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1866, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for arrive

• alive
• archive
• beehive
• connive
• contrive
• deprive
• derive
• revive
• survive
• dive
• drive
• five

Kids Definition

arrive

verb

ar·​rive ə-ˈrīv 

arrived; arriving

1

: to reach the place one started out for

arrive home at six o'clock

2

: come sense 4

the time arrived to begin

3

informal : to be successful