destination
des-tih-NEY-shuhn
/ˌdestɪˈneɪʃən/
The place to which someone or something is going or being sent.
Focuses on the final endpoint of a journey, carrying a sense of purpose or ultimate arrival.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'destinare,' meaning 'to make firm, establish, or choose.' This suggests that a destination is not just where you end up, but a place you have firmly chosen and resolved to reach.
Word relationships
- endpoint: Endpoint is a technical or physical limit, whereas destination carries the human context of travel and intent.
- origin: The starting point of a journey.
Commonly confused with
- itinerary: A destination is the final place you are going, while an itinerary is the schedule of how you will get there.
Word family
- destine (verb): To intend for a specific fate or purpose.
- destined (adjective): Bound for a certain destination or fate.
Collocations
- popular destination
- final destination
- holiday destination
- reach a destination
Example sentences
- "After ten hours of driving, we finally reached our destination: a cozy cabin in the mountains." Reaching the end of a trip
Memory hook
Your 'destination' is your final 'destiny' on the map. The chosen end of the road.
When not to use
Do not use for a random, aimless wander where there is no intended endpoint.
Fun facts
- The term 'destination wedding' became popular in the late 20th century, but the concept dates back to royal marriages held in foreign castles for political alliances.
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.