caravan

1 of 2

noun

car·​a·​van ˈker-ə-ˌvan 

ˈka-rə-

1

a

: a company of travelers on a journey through desert or hostile regions

also : a train of pack animals

b

: a group of vehicles traveling together (as in a file)

2

a

: a covered wagon or motor vehicle equipped as traveling living quarters

b

British : trailer sense 1b

caravan

2 of 2

verb

caravanned or caravaned; caravanning or caravaning

intransitive verb

: to travel in a caravan

Synonyms

Noun

• armada
• cavalcade
• fleet
• line
• motorcade
• train

Examples of caravan in a Sentence

Noun

a funeral caravan slowly making its way down the street

bought a caravan and drove cross-country to California

Verb

We caravaned to the campsite.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When a caravan of federal vehicles departed from the gates, protesters followed them, throwing rocks and other objects. —Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025

And when the cops creep in with a caravan of backup, Emery figures out that Joe’s new medallion has a tracker on the back of it. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 June 2025

Verb

Following that event, attendees can caravan to the WWII Memorial located at Ninth and G streets for an 11 a.m. ceremony. —Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2025

Photo: Getty Images Each winter, Wright and his apprentices would caravan from Spring Green to Scottsdale to continue their work in warmer weather. —Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 8 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian caravana, from Persian kārvān

First Known Use

Noun

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for caravan

• businessman
• canavan
• constantan
• dragoman
• fisherman
• handyman
• harmattan
• journeyman
• marianne
• middleman
• minivan
• minuteman

Kids Definition

caravan

noun

car·​a·​van

ˈkar-ə-ˌvan

1

a

: a group (as of merchants or pilgrims) traveling together on a long journey through desert or dangerous regions

b

: a group of pack animals or of vehicles traveling together one behind the other

2

: a covered vehicle

especially : one equipped as traveling living quarters