visit

1 of 2

verb

vis·​it ˈvi-zət How to pronounce visit (audio)
visited ˈvi-zə-təd How to pronounce visit (audio)
ˈviz-təd
; visiting ˈvi-zə-tiŋ How to pronounce visit (audio)
ˈviz-tiŋ

transitive verb

1
a
: to pay a call on as an act of friendship or courtesy
b
: to reside with temporarily as a guest
c
: to go to see or stay at (a place) for a particular purpose (such as business or sightseeing)
d
: to go or come officially to inspect or oversee
a bishop visiting his parishes
2
: to go to see in order to comfort or help
3
a(1)
: afflict
visited his people with distempersTobias Smollett
(2)
: inflict, impose
visited his wrath upon them
b
: avenge
visited the sins of the fathers upon the children
c
: to present itself to or come over momentarily
was visited by a strange notion
d
archaic : comfort
used of the Deity
visit us with Thy salvationCharles Wesley

intransitive verb

1
: to make a visit
also : to make frequent or regular visits
2
: chat, converse
enjoys visiting with the neighbors

visit

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a short stay : call
b
: a brief residence as a guest
c
: an extended stay : sojourn
2
: a journey to and stay or short sojourn at a place
3
: an official or professional call or tour : visitation
4
: the act of a naval officer in boarding a merchant ship on the high seas in exercise of the right of search

Examples of visit in a Sentence

Verb She is visiting her aunt in New York. When are you coming to visit? He is visiting a client in Phoenix. She visits her doctor regularly. I would like to visit Rome someday. City officials visited the building site. Our town was once visited by the President. Be sure to visit our website. Noun We had a visit from the company president. Our son came home for a visit. Have you been here before, or is this your first visit? We had a nice visit after the meeting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Even when Kate was spotted in public for the first time since her surgery, visiting a farm shop last weekend, the bizarre conspiracy theories about her health and whereabouts continued to circulate unabated – even though they were easily debunked. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Jake decides to get on an airplane and fly to Missouri to visit his family and celebrate his father’s 60th birthday. Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2024 For reservations, call (414) 293-9090 or visit lupiandiris.com. Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 Some precautionary measures hikers and their pets can take are researching a trail ahead of visiting it for any information on possible closures or warnings of frequent coyote sightings. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Such filters could drastically slow the movement of the tens of thousands of people who cross the border legally each day to work, study, shop or visit relatives. Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Gemini: London Spring’s shoulder season in London is actually one of the best times to visit this bright and bustling city, and there is no shortage of exciting activities to keep your busy-bodied Gemini entertained during this time of year. Nina Kahn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024 For more information about the SEED Summit + Awards, visit the SEED website. Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 For about the last five months, Katie Tanton said she's been making weekly treks to the St. Clair County Jail to visit her son. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
Chinese officials in recent days have slammed the tunnel project and Modi’s visit to the state, accusing New Delhi of taking steps to undermine peace along the border. Simone McCarthy, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Guests will spend six weeks cruising around South America, followed by visits to Mexico and California. Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 Crumpet the pup got into the messy situation after her family member left the cereal cabinet open A dog's secret snacking session turned into an hours-long visit to the groomer. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 Measles cases that turned up in at least three states this year were linked to visits to Florida, federal and state investigators concluded, shedding light on some of the early infections that have fueled an uptick of the highly contagious virus. Alexander Tin, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024 On a visit to that apartment, Nathaniel observed another side of Ringo’s character. David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024 Nielsen has struck up a partnership with EDO, a technology company co-founded by actor Edward Norton that examines data on consumers’ online search activity and website visits, among other actions. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 Dodgers star not accused of betting on baseball, sports March 21, 2024 Mizuhara served as a liaison between Ohtani and the coaching staff, accompanying managers and pitching coaches on mound visits. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 On a visit to the compound Tuesday, Waqf security staff politely asked worshippers to check their bags, muttering into walkie-talkies as groups filed past. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'visit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French visiter, from Latin visitare, frequentative of visere to go to see, frequentative of vidēre to see

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3d

Noun

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of visit was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near visit

Cite this Entry

“Visit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visit. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

visit

1 of 2 verb
vis·​it ˈviz-ət How to pronounce visit (audio)
visited ˈviz-ət-əd How to pronounce visit (audio)
ˈviz-təd
; visiting ˈviz-ət-iŋ How to pronounce visit (audio)
ˈviz-tiŋ
1
: to go to see in order to comfort or help
visit the sick
2
a
: to pay a call upon as an act of friendship or courtesy
b
: to go or come to see on business
c
: to live with for a time as a guest
3
: to go to for pleasure
visit the zoo
4
: to make a visit or frequent or regular visits
5
: chat entry 1 sense 1
enjoys visiting with the neighbors

visit

2 of 2 noun
1
: a brief stay : call
a visit with friends
2
: a stay as a guest
a weekend visit
3
: a journey to and brief stay at a place especially for a particular purpose
a visit to the museum
4
: an official or professional call (as of a doctor to treat a patient)
Etymology

Verb

Middle English visiten "to go to a person especially to give comfort," from early French visiter (same meaning), derived from Latin visere "to go to see," from vidēre "to see" — related to vision

Medical Definition

visit

1 of 2 transitive verb
vis·​it ˈviz-ət How to pronounce visit (audio)
1
: to go to attend (a patient)
2
: to go to see (as a physician or dentist) for professional service

visit

2 of 2 noun
1
: a professional call (as by a physician to treat a patient)
2
: a call upon a professional person (as a physician or dentist) for consultation or treatment
make regular visits to your dentist

More from Merriam-Webster on visit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!