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

And in this increasingly turbulent world, the number of pilgrims is on the rise—particularly the renowned European pilgrimages. —Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Increasing Climate Danger For years, experts have warned that climate change in Saudi Arabia could cause Hajj pilgrims to encounter extreme heat levels in coming decades. —Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025

Thousands of pilgrims go there to see the spot where, in 1917, three children saw the Virgin Mother. —Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025

Albergues and refugios are the pilgrim’s accommodation stops. —Craig Martin, Outside Online, 8 May 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