Peregrination

noun /ˌpɛrɪɡrɪˈneɪʃən/ — A long, winding journey — travel as a way of living.

Definition

A journey, especially a long or meandering one; travelling from place to place, especially on foot or in a wandering manner.

Beyond the definition

More stately than 'journey', more wandering than 'voyage', peregrination suggests a path that doesn't insist on its destination. Medieval pilgrims were peregrini. The word carries the sense of a life spent in motion — purposeful, but not hurried. A peregrination is a journey that has time for detours.

Origin & history

From Latin peregrinatio, from peregrinus 'foreign, travelling abroad'. The same root gives us 'pilgrim' via Old French pelerin, and 'peregrine' (the falcon that migrates far).

Example sentences

Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.

His peregrination through Central Asia lasted four years and produced a book he never finished.

The memoir traced her peregrination from Lagos to London to Lisbon — not as escape, but as accumulation.

She described her twenties as a peregrination: nowhere long enough to settle, everywhere long enough to learn.

How to use it

This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”

Choose “Peregrination” when the meaning fits your context: A journey, especially a long or meandering one; travelling from place to place, especially on foot or in a wandering manner.

Synonyms

journey, wandering, travels, pilgrimage, odyssey

Antonyms

settlement, stay, homecoming

Related words

Questions about this word

What does "Peregrination" mean?

Peregrination is noun meaning: A long, winding journey — travel as a way of living.. A journey, especially a long or meandering one; travelling from place to place, especially on foot or in a wandering manner.

Where does the word "Peregrination" come from?

From Latin peregrinatio, from peregrinus 'foreign, travelling abroad'. The same root gives us 'pilgrim' via Old French pelerin, and 'peregrine' (the falcon that migrates far).

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