voyage
VOY-ij
/ˈvɔɪ.ɪdʒ/
A long journey involving travel by sea or in space.
Usually implies a grand scale and a specific destination, often across water or the vacuum of space.
The story behind the word. In Latin, 'viaticum' was the money or supplies you took with you on the 'via' (way). Eventually, the word shifted from the supplies to the journey itself, specifically by sea.
Word relationships
- journey: Journey is the most general term; voyage is specific to sea or space.
- cruise: A cruise is for pleasure; a voyage is for travel or discovery.
Commonly confused with
- travel: Travel is the general activity; a voyage is one specific, long trip.
Word family
- voyager (noun): A person who goes on a long journey.
Collocations
- maiden voyage
- sea voyage
- long voyage
- voyage of discovery
Idioms & expressions
- Bon voyage
Example sentences
- "The voyage of the Beagle took Charles Darwin around the world and led to his theory of evolution." Scientific history.
- "The spacecraft is on a five-year voyage to the outer planets." Space travel.
Memory hook
A 'Voyage' is a 'Very-Long-Way-Age' (it takes a long time). A grand trip by sea or stars.
When not to use
Don't use for a journey by land (use trek or expedition instead).
Fun facts
- The 'Voyager' space probes, launched in 1977, are now the farthest man-made objects from Earth.
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