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Itinerary

eye-TIN-uh-rair-ee /aɪˈtɪn.ə.rer.i/

nounB2TOEFLIELTSGRE

GeneralFormal

A detailed plan or route of a journey, including stops, dates, and destinations.

Implies an organized schedule or written document outlining travel stages ahead of time.

The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'itinerarium' (a travel guide or road log), rooted in 'iter' (journey or march). In ancient Rome, itineraries were written lists of staging posts and distances along imperial highways.

Word relationships

schedule: Schedule refers to time allotments for activities generally, whereas itinerary focuses specifically on travel routes and travel stops.
route map: A route map shows spatial paths visually, whereas an itinerary lists dates, destinations, and scheduled stops in sequence.

improvisation: Improvisation involves making decisions spontaneously without a planned itinerary.

Commonly confused with

agenda: An agenda lists topics or tasks for a business meeting, while an itinerary outlines travel plans and route stops.

Word family

itinerant (adjective): Traveling from place to place, especially for work.

Collocations

travel itinerary
detailed itinerary
packed itinerary
planned itinerary

Example sentences

"Our road trip itinerary listed every national park and hotel stop along the Pacific Coast Highway." Travel organization document
"The detailed itinerary helped early explorers keep accurate records of dates and locations reached." Historical travel account

Memory hook

EYE-TIN-ER-ARY: I TINker with my travel schedule to keep it perfect. Detailed travel schedule.

When not to use

Do not use for a quick spontaneous trip with no planned schedule or stops.

Fun facts

The 'Tabula Peutingeriana' is a famous 4th-century Roman map-itinerary showing over 200,000 kilometers of roads across the Roman Empire.