destination

play

noun des·ti·na·tion \ ˌdes-tə-ˈnā-shən \

Definition of destination

1 :the purpose for which something is predetermined or destined

2 :an act of appointing, setting aside for a purpose, or predetermining

3 :a place to which one is journeying or to which something is sent

when the package has reached its destination

kept their destination secret

4 :a place worthy of travel or an extended visit

a popular tourist destination

—often used attributively

a destination restaurant

a destination resort

See destination defined for English-language learners

See destination defined for kids

Examples of destination in a Sentence

After stopping for lunch, we continued on toward our destination.
The package reached its destination two days later.
He enjoys traveling to remote and exotic destinations.
We traveled through three states before reaching our final destination.

Recent Examples of destination from the Web

East is where Daenerys Targaryen can play white savior and practice being queen, but her destination lies to the west. 5.

— adrian daub, Longreads, "Here at the End of All Things," 24 Aug. 2017
Quintana Roo — home to such resort towns as Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Tulum — is a popular destination for American tourists.

— tom uhler, star-telegram, "About that Mexican resort trip — consider yourself warned," 23 Aug. 2017
The shuttle buses taking guests there had to stop several hundred yards away from the final destination and people had to walk up a steep hill in the rain, so there was a whole lot of complaining.

— john hendrickson, Esquire, "The 'Rules' of Being a Man Are Bullshit," 22 Aug. 2017
So to her loved ones, a reporting trip off the coast of Denmark appeared to be a relatively safe destination.

— samantha schmidt, chicagotribune.com, "Journalist mysteriously vanishes aboard submarine, man arrested after vessel sinks," 14 Aug. 2017
Calamur has overseen The Atlantic’s News team for the past two years, helping to establish the site as a destination for immediate U.S. and international news coverage.

— jean m. twenge, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Builds Global Reporting Team," 3 Aug. 2017
The more than 60 donabe (traditional Japanese clay cooking pots) that line the walls of the Healdsburg, CA, fine-dining destination (and one of our 2017 Top 50!) are striking in their handmade beauty, lit from below like precious relics.

— amiel stanek, Bon Appetit, "The Cooking Pot You'll Never Want to Put in a Drawer," 2 Aug. 2017
The 298-foot long railway terminates at two enticing destinations—on top of Bunker Hill, near the outdoor Water Court shopping mall, and down below on Hill Street, steps from the teeming Grand Central Market.

— neal broverman, Los Angeles Magazine, "Angels Flight Deserves a More Uplifting Home," 31 July 2017
Carnival has been making bookings into 2018 and 2019, and has announced some longer cruises that will allow those voyaging from Alabama's Port City to reach some new destinations.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Carnival Cruise Line, Stimpson: Contract extension in works," 24 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'destination.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of destination

see destine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

DESTINATION Defined for English Language Learners

destination

play

noun

Definition of destination for English Language Learners

: a place to which a person is going or something is being sent

DESTINATION Defined for Kids

destination

play

noun des·ti·na·tion \ ˌde-stə-ˈnā-shən \

Definition of destination for Students

:a place to which a person is going or something is sent

Learn More about destination

See words that rhyme with destination Spanish Central: Translation of destination Nglish: Translation of destination for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of destination for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up destination? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

destination

Definition of destination

Examples of destination in a Sentence

Recent Examples of destination from the Web

Origin and Etymology of destination

DESTINATION Defined for English Language Learners

destination

Definition of destination for English Language Learners

DESTINATION Defined for Kids

destination

Definition of destination for Students

Learn More about destination

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Silent Letters

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Name That Thing

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

destination

Definition of destination

Explore M-W

Examples of destination in a Sentence

Recent Examples of destination from the Web

Origin and Etymology of destination

DESTINATION Defined for English Language Learners

destination

Definition of destination for English Language Learners

DESTINATION Defined for Kids

destination

Definition of destination for Students

Learn More about destination

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066