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Dictionary / journey

journey

/ˈd͡ʒɝni/ (General-American)/ˈd͡ʒɜːni/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • noun
  • verb
  • from Old French

A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “journey” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

noun · etymology 1

  1. A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.

    The journey to London takes two hours by train.

  2. figurativelyAny process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.

    the journey to political freedom

  3. The progress of a customer through a system, often a computer system.

    We need to map out the user journey and make it more efficient.

  4. The weight of finished coins delivered at one time to the Master of the Mint.
  5. collectiveA group of giraffes.

    Luckily, we saw journeys of giraffes countless times during our six days on safari in South Africa.2012 October 11, Elizabeth Yardley Pennridge High School, Burlington County Times, archived from the original on 31 Mar 2023:

  6. Life on Earth.
Older & obsolete senses (3)
  1. obsoleteA day.
  2. obsoleteA day's travelling; the distance travelled in a day.
  3. obsoleteA day's work.
Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

verb · etymology 1

  1. intransitiveTo travel, to make a trip or voyage.

    The arrangement for certain long-distance trains to call at suburban stations (saving passengers the trouble of journeying to the termini), which proved popular last year, is being extended.1951 June, “British Railways Summer Services”, in Railway Magazine, page 419:

Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

noun · etymology 2

  1. The total time spent melting and working one piece.
Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (3)
  1. nounthe act of traveling from one place to another — also: journeying
  2. verbundertake a journey or trip — also: travel
  3. verbtravel upon or across — also: travel
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: fare, journey, sith, trip

Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

Etymology 1 (noun, verb)

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)journey
  2. Middle Englishjourne
  3. Old Frenchjornee
  4. Vulgar Latin*diurnāta
  5. Late Latindiurnum
  6. Latindiurnus
  7. Latindiēs “day”

From Middle English journe, from Old French jornee, from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus, from diēs (“day”). Displaced native Old English fær and Old English faru.

Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology 2 (noun)

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)journey
  2. Frenchjournée (day's activities)
  3. Frenchjournée
  4. Old Frenchjornee
  5. Vulgar Latin*diurnāta

Reborrowing from French journée (day's activities), originally an unadapted borrowing from French journée, from Old French jornee, from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta.

Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “journey”

journeyerjourneylikejourneymanjourneypersonjourneywomanjourneyworkmicrojourneymidjourneyoutjourneyrejourney

Phrases & compounds

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single stepjourney juicememory journeySabbath-day's journeywedding journey

Related terms

movevehicle
Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “journey” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “journey” came from before it was English.

Etymology 1 (noun, verb)

Came into English from
Old French
Old French jornee
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin diēs “day”

Etymology 2 (noun)

Came into English from
French
French journée (day's activities)
Oldest written form
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin *diurnāta
Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Latin
“day”
Latin diēs
Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

journey n. [OE. jornee, journee, prop., a day's journey, OF. jorn, jurn, a day, a day's work of journey, F. journ, fr. OF. jorn, jurn, jor a day, F. jour, fr. L. diurnus. See Journal.]

  1. The travel or work of a day.
  2. Travel or passage from one place to another, especially one covering a large distance or taking a long time.
  3. A passage through life, or a passage through any significant experience, or from one state to another.

journey v. i.

  1. To travel from place to place; to go from home to a distance.

journey v. t.

  1. To traverse; to travel over or through.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

nounMeaning: A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.

The journey to London takes two hours by train.

“Don't set out on a journey using someone else's donkey.” ~ African proverb

nounMeaning: Any process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.

the journey to political freedom

my journey of dealing with grief

nounMeaning: The progress of a customer through a system, often a computer system.

We need to map out the user journey and make it more efficient.

a customer journey

nounMeaning: A group of giraffes.

Luckily, we saw journeys of giraffes countless times during our six days on safari in South Africa.2012 October 11, Elizabeth Yardley Pennridge High School, Burlington County Times, archived from the original on 31 Mar 2023:

Rolande Bragg (7 December 2023), “The Riding Romance”, in capocagin (Usenet): “Don't be surprised to see elephants or a journey of giraffes pass you from this high point. We rode here for a treehouse brunch and encountered a few elephants along the way.”

verbMeaning: To travel, to make a trip or voyage.

The arrangement for certain long-distance trains to call at suburban stations (saving passengers the trouble of journeying to the termini), which proved popular last year, is being extended.1951 June, “British Railways Summer Services”, in Railway Magazine, page 419:

Wiktionary: “journey” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 10

Say it, then spell it

journey

/ˈd͡ʒɝni/

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

journey

/ˈd͡ʒɝni/ · noun, verb

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “journey” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (noun) A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.
2. (noun) Any process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.
3. (noun) The progress of a customer through a system, often a computer system.
4. (noun) The weight of finished coins delivered at one time to the Master of the Mint.
5. (noun) A group of giraffes.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“The journey to London takes two hours by train.”

A. To travel, to make a trip or voyage.
B. A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.
C. Any process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.

Circle the meaning used.

“the journey to political freedom”

A. A group of giraffes.
B. Any process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.
C. A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.

Circle the meaning used.

“We need to map out the user journey and make it more efficient.”

A. The progress of a customer through a system, often a computer system.
B. A group of giraffes.
C. A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “journey” come into English from?   A. Latin  B. Old French  C. Anglo-Norman  D. Middle French

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “journey” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Latin diēs. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “journey” to mean: A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.
Write a sentence using “journey” to mean: Any process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.
Write a sentence using “journey” to mean: The progress of a customer through a system, often a computer system.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — journey

Which meaning, sentence 1: B. A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.

Which meaning, sentence 2: B. Any process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.

Which meaning, sentence 3: A. The progress of a customer through a system, often a computer system.

Origin: B. Old French (Old French jornee)

Journey: English journey ← Middle English journe ← Old French jornee ← Vulgar Latin *diurnāta ← Late Latin diurnum ← Latin diurnus ← Latin diēs

Some derivatives: journeyer, journeylike, journeyman, journeyperson, journeywoman, journeywork, microjourney, midjourney

Original meaning: Latin diēs — “day”

Etymology: From Middle English journe, from Old French jornee, from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus, from diēs (“day”). Displaced native Old English fær and Old English faru.

Sources: Wiktionary “journey” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/journey#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/journey