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itinerant

adjective
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itin·​er·​ant | \ ī-ˈti-nə-rənt How to pronounce itinerant (audio) \

Definition of itinerant

: traveling from place to place especially : covering a circuit itinerant preacher
Other Words from itinerant Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about itinerant

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Other Words from itinerant

itinerant noun
itinerantly adverb

Did You Know?

In Latin, iter means "way" or "journey." That root was the parent of the Late Latin verb itinerari, meaning "to journey." It was that verb which ultimately gave rise to today's English word for traveling types: "itinerant." The linguistic grandsire, "iter," also contributed to the development of other words in our vocabulary, including "itinerary" ("the route of a journey" and "the plan made for a journey") and "errant" ("traveling or given to traveling").

Examples of itinerant in a Sentence

an itinerant musician can see a lot of the world
Recent Examples on the Web The itinerant homeless man was believed to have disappeared at the same time as the little girl. — Fox News, "FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives: 5 suspects in the last decade who remain at large," 19 Feb. 2020 There has been growing public protest over itinerant tiger exhibits and performing acts at state and county fairs. — Steve Winter, National Geographic, "THE BEST OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX," 24 Jan. 2020 As an itinerant preacher, Martins brought gang members to Jesus in favelas across Rio. — Alex Cuadros, Harper's magazine, "“My Gang Is Jesus”," 20 Jan. 2020 The core group of us volunteers—plus an assortment of children, spouses, and itinerant friends—was damned good at fundraising. — Andrew Mckean, Outdoor Life, "Goodbye to a Critter Group, and the Birth of the Hi-Line Sportsmen," 14 Jan. 2020 He, in turn, roped in Claude Vealey and Buddy Martin, two other itinerant criminals. — Vince Guerreri, Smithsonian Magazine, "Fifty Years Ago, the Murder of Jock Yablonski Shocked the Labor Movement," 31 Dec. 2019 Yet another formerly itinerant player who multiple people believe is on a fast track to a No. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "MLB's most important moves off the field: 14 hires reshaping the league's brainpower balance," 12 Dec. 2019 Rozman was living a largely itinerant life at the time, and the resulting wine felt almost like a liability. — Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, "How Natural Wine Became a Symbol of Virtuous Consumption," 18 Nov. 2019 American folk art — paintings by itinerant artists, old signs, weather vanes, ship figureheads — was new to the art market. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, "Edith Halpert and American Modernism," 14 Dec. 2019

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

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First Known Use of itinerant

circa 1576, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for itinerant

Late Latin itinerant-, itinerans, present participle of itinerari to journey, from Latin itiner-, iter journey, way; akin to Hittite itar way, Latin ire to go — more at issue entry 1

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Time Traveler for itinerant

Time Traveler

The first known use of itinerant was circa 1576

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Last Updated

23 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Itinerant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/itinerant?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=i&file=itiner02. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for itinerant

itinerant

adjective
How to pronounce itinerant (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of itinerant

: traveling from place to place : staying in a place for only a short amount of time

See the full definition for itinerant in the English Language Learners Dictionary

itinerant

adjective
itin·​er·​ant | \ ī-ˈti-nə-rənt How to pronounce itinerant (audio) \

Kids Definition of itinerant

: traveling from place to place

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More from Merriam-Webster on itinerant

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for itinerant

Spanish Central: Translation of itinerant

Nglish: Translation of itinerant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of itinerant for Arabic Speakers

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