pilgrimage
PIL-grih-mij
/ˈpɪlɡrɪmɪdʒ/
A journey, often long and difficult, made to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion.
While often religious, it can also describe a journey to a place of great personal or cultural importance (e.g., a pilgrimage to a childhood home).
The story behind the word. The word comes from the Latin 'peregrinus', meaning a foreigner or someone from 'across the fields' (per-agri). In the Middle Ages, this evolved to describe those who traveled far from home to visit holy shrines, becoming 'strangers' in a foreign land for the sake of their faith.
Word relationships
- crusade: A crusade implies a vigorous campaign for change, whereas a pilgrimage is a journey for personal or spiritual reasons.
- expedition: An expedition is focused on exploration or research, lacking the religious or reverent undertone of a pilgrimage.
- wandering: Wandering is aimless, while a pilgrimage has a specific, holy destination.
Commonly confused with
- trek: A trek is simply a difficult walk; a pilgrimage is a walk with a spiritual destination.
Word family
- pilgrim (noun): A person who journeys to a sacred place.
Collocations
- make a pilgrimage
- annual pilgrimage
- spiritual pilgrimage
Example sentences
- "Then do folk long to go on pilgrimages, and palmers for to seek out foreign strands." Describing the classic English literary journey.
- "Every year, thousands of Elvis fans make a pilgrimage to Graceland." A modern cultural reference.
Memory hook
Imagine a 'Pilgrim' on a 'grim' 'age'-old journey to find peace. A journey with a holy goal.
When not to use
Do not use for a casual vacation or a simple business trip; it requires a sense of purpose and reverence.
Fun facts
- The scallop shell is the traditional symbol of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela because the lines on the shell represent the many paths pilgrims take to reach a single point.
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