pilgrim

noun

pil·​grim ˈpil-grəm 

1

: one who journeys in foreign lands : wayfarer

2

: one who travels to a shrine or holy place as a devotee

3

capitalized : one of the English colonists settling at Plymouth in 1620

Examples of pilgrim in a Sentence

Thousands of Muslim pilgrims traveled to Mecca.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the Middle Ages, gum arabic reached Europe by way of pilgrims and merchants traveling to ports of the Levant, the coastal region of the eastern Mediterranean. —Erik Zou, JSTOR Daily, 25 Apr. 2025

The last deadly incident took place in June 2024 when at least nine people were killed and 33 injured after a militant attack caused a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims to plunge into a deep gorge. —Fayaz Bukhari, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025

While the pope’s appearance was widely expected, pilgrims acknowledged some concern that gusts of wind might keep him from entering the square. —Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025

But the opportunities to see where Christ, the Apostles, King David and other Biblical figures walked are bringing back leisure travelers and pilgrims alike. —Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French pelerin, pilegrin, from Late Latin pelegrinus, alteration of Latin peregrinus foreigner, from peregrinus, adjective, foreign, from peregri abroad, from per through + agr-, ager land — more at for, acre

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pilgrim

• pilgrim bottle

Kids Definition

pilgrim

noun

pil·​grim ˈpil-grəm 

1

: one who journeys in foreign lands : traveler

2

: a person who travels to a shrine or holy place to worship

3

capitalized : one of the English colonists who founded the first permanent settlement in New England at Plymouth in 1620