# excursion

/ɪkˈskɝʒən/ (US) · /ɛkskˈɜːʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/excursion
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a short pleasure trip

noun · CEFR B2

a short journey you take for fun, often with a group of people.

For teachers: a brief recreational journey or outing, typically taken for pleasure or education.

- The hotel organizes a daily excursion to the nearby islands for its guests.
- The students were looking forward to their weekend excursion to the national park, where they planned to study the local flora.

Usage: Often used with the verb 'go on' or 'make'.

### 2. aviation safety event

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

when an aircraft accidentally slides or rolls off the runway.

For teachers: an incident where an aircraft exits the runway surface during takeoff, landing, or taxiing.

- The airport was closed for two hours following a minor runway excursion during a heavy storm.
- The safety board investigated the excursion, citing standing water on the runway and excessive crosswinds as contributing factors.

Usage: Usually appears in the compound 'runway excursion'.

### 3. a deviation or digression

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a short time when you talk or think about something different from your main topic.

For teachers: a temporary deviation from a regular course, pattern, or subject of discussion.

- After a brief excursion into politics, the professor returned to the main topic of the lecture.
- The author's lengthy excursion into the history of the town felt unnecessary to the overall plot of the novel.

### 4. to go on a trip

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

to go on a short trip for pleasure.

For teachers: to engage in a recreational outing or brief journey.

- In the summer, the families would excursion to the coast for the fresh air.
- The Victorian travelers would frequently excursion into the countryside to document rare botanical specimens.

## Examples

- The students are going on an excursion to the museum.
- The cruise ship offers several shore excursions, including a guided walk through the ancient ruins and a local food tour.
- While the primary purpose of the conference was professional networking, the organisers arranged a weekend excursion to the nearby national park to provide attendees with a change of scenery.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.