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: a temporary stay
a sojourn in the country
sojourned; sojourning; sojourns
: to stay as a temporary resident : stop
sojourned for a month at a resort
sojourner
noun
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Noun
The visit with my father was preceded by a sojourn with my sister, Joy—an artistic type and sometime vegan who plays the part of patient vegetarian whenever her unrepentantly carnivorous brother drops in—and her husband, who were kind enough to pick me up at Heathrow.
—
John Haney, Gourmet, January 2003
On a recent sojourn in Sicily, I frequently found myself remembering that page in the children's encyclopedia, because it seemed to me that what I was seeing was as close as I will ever come to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
—Francine Prose, Atlantic, December 2002
My mother is Venezuelan, and every year during my childhood we spent a two-month sojourn with her family there.
—Alexandra Starr, New Republic, 20 May 2002
Our family enjoyed a two-week sojourn in the mountains.
spent a relaxing sojourn in her friend's summer home
Verb
'Am I hideous, Jane?' 'Very, sir: you always were, you know.' 'Humph! The wickedness has not been taken out of you, wherever you have sojourned.'
—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
… there abode, in a remote period of American history, that is to say, some thirty years since, a worthy wight of the name of Ichabod Crane, who sojourned, or, as he expressed it, "tarried," in Sleepy Hollow, for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity.
—Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleep Hollow, 1820
began their retirement by leisurely sojourning with friends and relatives scattered across the country
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John Haney, Gourmet, January 2003
On a recent sojourn in Sicily, I frequently found myself remembering that page in the children's encyclopedia, because it seemed to me that what I was seeing was as close as I will ever come to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
—Francine Prose, Atlantic, December 2002
My mother is Venezuelan, and every year during my childhood we spent a two-month sojourn with her family there.
—Alexandra Starr, New Republic, 20 May 2002
Our family enjoyed a two-week sojourn in the mountains.
spent a relaxing sojourn in her friend's summer home
Verb
'Am I hideous, Jane?' 'Very, sir: you always were, you know.' 'Humph! The wickedness has not been taken out of you, wherever you have sojourned.'
—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
… there abode, in a remote period of American history, that is to say, some thirty years since, a worthy wight of the name of Ichabod Crane, who sojourned, or, as he expressed it, "tarried," in Sleepy Hollow, for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity.
—Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleep Hollow, 1820
began their retirement by leisurely sojourning with friends and relatives scattered across the country
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Recent Examples on the WebIshaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2023
After a sojourn in the jungle, Simba returns to fight his uncle, Scar, to become the lion king.
—Michael Paulson, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2022
Travelers will also have a new reason for an extended sojourn in Akureyri, sometimes referred to as the capital of North Iceland, when Skogarbod (also known as the Forest Baths) opens in February 2022.
—Julia Eskins, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Jan. 2022
The biggest decision to make when planning a Greek sojourn is which island (or islands) are on the itinerary.
—Alex Schechter, Travel + Leisure, 2 Feb. 2023
On this 16-day sojourn through Thailand and Vietnam, holiday activities dominate the programming.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2022
This is an existential crisis for Emily Cooper, who, before her French sojourn, was happily shilling tag lines for I.B.S. drugs in Chicago.
—Iva Dixit, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2022
Her sojourn across the channel followed an altogether more playful fashion tack in London.
—Alice Newbold, Glamour, 8 Dec. 2022
But since that didn’t happen, Coogler’s chance at Academy recognition will have to wait until his Marvel sojourn is over.
—Vulture, 11 Nov. 2022
Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 28 Dec. 2022
The Red Wings sojourn through the Great White North, this time facing the Oilers.
—Andrew Hammond, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2022
Organizer Bob Hannaford said the swingers sojourn in New Orleans was initially scheduled for the summer but was postponed because of the pandemic.
—Matt Sledge, NOLA.com, 13 Nov. 2020
The safest way to sojourn into the haunted, creepy and macabre, especially during a pandemic, is never to leave home.
—Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 27 Oct. 2020
For two weeks in August each year, the family would sojourn to the Atlantic Coast for a vacation, first at Ocean City and later at Bethany Beach and elsewhere.
—Jacob Wallace, Washington Post, 22 May 2020
To the city folk who sojourn there, West Marin is an agrarian idyll.
—Leilani Marie Labong, SFChronicle.com, 21 May 2020
The author Richard Bach and the puppeteer Jim Henson sojourned to meet Ms. Roberts.
—Sam Kestenbaum, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2019
After sojourning in season 1-land in the season 8 premiere, Arrow is heading to another familiar location from its past.
—Chancellor Agard, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2019
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Noun
Lula’s visit also comes a week after Bolsonaro, who has yet to formally accept his defeat in last year’s election and is in the middle of an extended sojourn in Florida, spoke at an event hosted at a hotel owned by former president Donald Trump.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2023
After a sojourn in the jungle, Simba returns to fight his uncle, Scar, to become the lion king.
—Michael Paulson, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2022
Travelers will also have a new reason for an extended sojourn in Akureyri, sometimes referred to as the capital of North Iceland, when Skogarbod (also known as the Forest Baths) opens in February 2022.
—Julia Eskins, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Jan. 2022
The biggest decision to make when planning a Greek sojourn is which island (or islands) are on the itinerary.
—Alex Schechter, Travel + Leisure, 2 Feb. 2023
On this 16-day sojourn through Thailand and Vietnam, holiday activities dominate the programming.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2022
This is an existential crisis for Emily Cooper, who, before her French sojourn, was happily shilling tag lines for I.B.S. drugs in Chicago.
—Iva Dixit, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2022
Her sojourn across the channel followed an altogether more playful fashion tack in London.
—Alice Newbold, Glamour, 8 Dec. 2022
But since that didn’t happen, Coogler’s chance at Academy recognition will have to wait until his Marvel sojourn is over.
—Vulture, 11 Nov. 2022
Verb
Regardless, Bolsonaro—who has still refused to concede the election—now may be skipping his successor’s inauguration and ditching his wife to sojourn in Florida for up to two months.
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 28 Dec. 2022
The Red Wings sojourn through the Great White North, this time facing the Oilers.
—Andrew Hammond, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2022
Organizer Bob Hannaford said the swingers sojourn in New Orleans was initially scheduled for the summer but was postponed because of the pandemic.
—Matt Sledge, NOLA.com, 13 Nov. 2020
The safest way to sojourn into the haunted, creepy and macabre, especially during a pandemic, is never to leave home.
—Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 27 Oct. 2020
For two weeks in August each year, the family would sojourn to the Atlantic Coast for a vacation, first at Ocean City and later at Bethany Beach and elsewhere.
—Jacob Wallace, Washington Post, 22 May 2020
To the city folk who sojourn there, West Marin is an agrarian idyll.
—Leilani Marie Labong, SFChronicle.com, 21 May 2020
The author Richard Bach and the puppeteer Jim Henson sojourned to meet Ms. Roberts.
—Sam Kestenbaum, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2019
After sojourning in season 1-land in the season 8 premiere, Arrow is heading to another familiar location from its past.
—Chancellor Agard, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2019
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sojourn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English sojorn, from Anglo-French sujur, sujurn, from sujurner — see sojourn entry 2
Verb
Middle English, from Anglo-French sujurner, sejurner, from Vulgar Latin *subdiurnare, from Latin sub under, during + Late Latin diurnum day — more at up, journey
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of sojourn was
in the 13th century
Articles Related to sojourn
Dictionary Entries Near sojourn
Cite this Entry
“Sojourn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sojourn. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
More from Merriam-Webster on sojourn
Nglish: Translation of sojourn for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sojourn for Arabic Speakers
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