Pilgrimage
noun /ˈpɪlɡrɪmɪdʒ/ — A journey made to a sacred or significant place, with a sense of purpose or devotion.
Definition
A journey — physical or metaphorical — undertaken to a place of special significance, with a seriousness of purpose that distinguishes it from ordinary travel. The destination matters less than the intention.
Beyond the definition
Everyone has made a pilgrimage that wasn't called one. The visit to a childhood home, the trip to where someone is buried, the journey to the city where everything began. Pilgrimage is travel made holy by the care you bring to it.
Origin & history
From Old French 'pelegrinage,' from 'pelerin' (pilgrim), from Latin 'peregrinus' (foreigner, traveller) — from 'peregre' (abroad). To be on pilgrimage is to be a foreigner seeking something.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She made a pilgrimage to the town her grandfather had left as a young man.
The walk to the cathedral had been a pilgrimage for eight centuries and counting.
It was, she understood later, a pilgrimage — though she'd called it a holiday.
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 “Pilgrimage” when the meaning fits your context: A journey — physical or metaphorical — undertaken to a place of special significance, with a seriousness of purpose that distinguishes it from ordinary travel. The destination matters less than the intention.
Synonyms
sacred journey, quest, voyage, odyssey
Antonyms
aimless wandering
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Pilgrimage" mean?
Pilgrimage is noun meaning: A journey made to a sacred or significant place, with a sense of purpose or devotion.. A journey — physical or metaphorical — undertaken to a place of special significance, with a seriousness of purpose that distinguishes it from ordinary travel. The destination matters less than the intention.
Where does the word "Pilgrimage" come from?
From Old French 'pelegrinage,' from 'pelerin' (pilgrim), from Latin 'peregrinus' (foreigner, traveller) — from 'peregre' (abroad). To be on pilgrimage is to be a foreigner seeking something.