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

As T-Mobile embarked on its growth spurt in 2014, Sprint changed its top management, undertook a massive cost-cutting program and endured rounds of layoffs.

— mark davis, max londberg and lynn horsley, kansascity, "Sprint drops T-Mobile merger, easing employee worries but raising doubts about future," 4 Nov. 2017
But since climbing Uluru is technically legal, an estimated 60,000 park visitors embark on the hike every year, according to Sarah Reid of the Telegraph.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Australia Will Ban Climbing Uluru, a Sacred Indigenous Site, in 2019," 1 Nov. 2017
The deal Outside of its shoe empire, Nike embarks on this new uniform deal with an eye toward growth in apparel.

— kevin casas, star-telegram, "How athletic shoes became part of mainstream talk and changed the attire game," 31 Oct. 2017
Timothy Christian forward Jimmy Allen got healthy at just the right time of the year — as the Trojans embarked on the Class 2A boys soccer playoffs.

— patrick kelly, chicagotribune.com, "Wheaton Academy shuts out Timothy Christian, Jimmy Allen in final," 28 Oct. 2017
And if Vaitai, embarking on just his 15th NFL game, his eighth start, needs chip-blocking help, will that affect the stellar season tight end Zach Ertz is having as a pass-catcher (team-high 39 catches for 494 yards and five touchdowns)?

— les bowen, Philly.com, "Which areas are most impacted by Vaitai replacing Peters?," 27 Oct. 2017
Mozilla recognized that complex multithreaded code posed challenges for developers some years ago and, in response, embarked on the development of the Rust programming language.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "Firefox takes a Quantum leap forward with new developer edition," 26 Sep. 2017
The result is that today’s young pilots are embarking on careers that look markedly different from the ones their senior colleagues began a generation ago.

— jeff friedrich, Slate Magazine, "How We Ruined Airline Jobs," 7 Sep. 2017
Next week, Cruz-Atienza and colleagues from Mexico and Japan will embark on a cruise to place sensors on the sea floor off the Mexican state of Guerrero.

— lizzie wade, Science | AAAS, "Underwater network hunts for mysterious slow quakes," 1 Nov. 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 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

Definition of embark

embarkation

embarkment

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Origin and Etymology of embark

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EMBARK Defined for English Language Learners

embark

Definition of embark for English Language Learners

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embark

Definition of embark for Students

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