embark

verb em·bark \ im-ˈbärk \

Definition of embark

intransitive verb

1 :to go on board a vehicle for transportation

the troops embarked at noon

2 :to make a start

embarked on a new career

transitive verb

1 :to cause to go on board (a boat, an airplane, etc.)

2 :to engage, enlist, or invest in an enterprise

—

embarkation

play \ˌem-ˌbär-ˈkā-shən, -bər-\ noun

—

embarkment

play \im-ˈbärk-mənt\ noun

See embark defined for English-language learners

See embark defined for kids

Examples of embark in a Sentence

The troops are waiting to embark.
Millions of Europeans embarked for America in the late 19th century.

Recent Examples of embark from the Web

And after the tour ends in Paris on Sept. 9, the Cincinnati Pops Brass Quintet will embark on a nine-concert tour of Germany.

— janelle gelfand, Cincinnati.com, "CSO launches tour in United Kingdom with fanfare," 24 Aug. 2017
Within a few years, AOL was sold to Verizon, HuffPost was absorbed as a corporate division of a telecom company, and its illustrious founder departed to embark on a wellness venture called Thrive Global.

— joe pompeo, The Hive, "Can Oath, the Arranged Media Marriage of Yahoo and AOL, Avoid a Rough Divorce?," 16 Aug. 2017
But from August 6 through August 10, Limited Too will embark on a mobile tour throughout Manhattan with a ton of back-to-school products, including apparel, notebooks, keychains, cell-phone cases, and backpacks, WWD notes.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Soon You Can Revisit Your Tween Years at Limited Too’s Mobile Pop-up Shop," 26 July 2017
Lopez, who left Creighton after his junior season to embark on his professional career, seems to be offering a definitive answer.

— blake baumgartner, Naperville Sun, "Naperville Central's Nick Lopez keeps moving up in Kansas City Royals' system," 22 July 2017
After the flight fell through, the four ballplayers piled into an Uber at 2:55 a.m. and embarked on the seven-hour journey from Phoenix to Albuquerque to make the Rainiers’ game against the Isotopes that day.

— sean quinton, The Seattle Times, "Mariners minor-leaguers’ flight fell through … so they took a 7-hour Uber ride to ballpark," 19 July 2017
And Myanmar, after years of isolation and repression, embarked on an unexpected transition to democracy.

— The Economist, "More money, less freedomSouth-East Asia’s future looks prosperous but illiberal," 18 July 2017
Of course, former Auburn star Cam Newton didn't really embark on his fashion journeys until getting to the NFL.

— mark heim, AL.com, "Virginia Tech's Cam Phillips' outfit steals show at ACC Kickoff," 14 July 2017
Between releasing Lemonade, embarking on the Formation World Tour, and headlining the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show, Beyoncé was pretty busy last year.

— andrea park, Teen Vogue, "Beyoncé Named Highest-Earning Artist of 2016," 14 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of embark

Middle French embarquer, from Old Occitan embarcar, from em- (from Latin in-) + barca bark

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1533

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EMBARK Defined for English Language Learners

embark

verb

Definition of embark for English Language Learners

: to begin a journey especially on a ship or airplane

EMBARK Defined for Kids

embark

verb em·bark \ im-ˈbärk \

Definition of embark for Students

embarked; embarking

1 :to go on or put on board a ship or an airplane

The last of the passengers embarked.

2 :to begin a project or task

She embarked on a new career.

Learn More about embark

See words that rhyme with embark Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for embark Spanish Central: Translation of embark Nglish: Translation of embark for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of embark for Arabic speakers

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embark

Definition of embark

embarkation

embarkment

Examples of embark in a Sentence

Recent Examples of embark from the Web

Origin and Etymology of embark

EMBARK Defined for English Language Learners

embark

Definition of embark for English Language Learners

EMBARK Defined for Kids

embark

Definition of embark for Students

Learn More about embark

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embark

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