itinerant

adjective

itin·​er·​ant ī-ˈti-nə-rənt How to pronounce itinerant (audio)
: traveling from place to place
especially : covering a circuit
itinerant preacher
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 the English word for traveling types: itinerant. The linguistic grandparent, iter, also contributed to the development of other English words, including itinerary ("the route of a journey" and "the plan made for a journey") and errant ("traveling or given to traveling," as in knight-errant).

Examples of itinerant in a Sentence

an itinerant musician can see a lot of the world
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The family was essentially itinerant after that, living in at least seven Tupelo locations before moving to Memphis, where Vernon hoped to find steady work rather than odd jobs. John Beifuss, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025 Lining up Marina Abramović for any occasion takes some coordinating, but the itinerant artist broke out of her routine for a Q&A Sunday night in New York. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025 In Benghazi’s Ganfuda Detention Center, dozens of young women and girls crowd the floor of a warehouse strewn with foam mattresses and the plastic-bag detritus of an itinerant life. Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025 The level of luxury she’s introduced with Barracuda is a stark contrast to the humbler quarters generally associated with backpackers and itinerant surf bums, which still make up the majority of Itacaré’s lodging options. David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for itinerant

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of itinerant was circa 1576

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Cite this Entry

“Itinerant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/itinerant. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

itinerant

adjective
itin·​er·​ant ī-ˈtin-ə-rənt How to pronounce itinerant (audio)
ə-ˈtin-
: traveling from place to place
an itinerant preacher

More from Merriam-Webster on itinerant

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