pilgrimage

1 of 2

noun

pil·​grim·​age ˈpil-grə-mij 

1

: a journey of a pilgrim

especially : one to a shrine or a sacred place

2

: the course of life on earth

pilgrimage

2 of 2

verb

pilgrimaged; pilgrimaging

intransitive verb

: to go on a pilgrimage

Synonyms of pilgrimage

Verb

• travel
• trek
• journey
• tour
• voyage
• trip

Examples of pilgrimage in a Sentence

Noun

He made a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The family went on a pilgrimage to historical battlefields.

The tradition of pilgrimage is important in Islam.

The poet's grave site has become a place of pilgrimage.

Verb

tourists pilgrimaging to all of the traditional destinations across Europe

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The pilgrimage has been a tradition in Des Plaines since 2014, but the history of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to 1531, when Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared before Saint Juan Diego in Mexico, leaving an image of herself on his cloak. —Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025

CEOs make pilgrimages to the Oval Office, bearing gifts and promises of donations to Trump projects. —Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025

Verb

Advertisement Travel to the country once limited essentially to pilgrimage and business travel, opened with a tourist e-visa in 2019 and has since become an engine of jobs and investment. —Ali Shihabi, Time, 8 Sep. 2025

Next year will mark the culmination of its Jubilee Year celebrations, and through January, the city will continue to host pilgrimage events, public art installations, and expanded museum programming. —AFAR Media, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1621, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pilgrimage

noun

pil·​grim·​age

ˈpil-grə-mij

: a journey of a pilgrim

pilgrimage verb