ENGLISH
REFERENCE

travel

n. uncountable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈtɹævəɫ// UK //tɹˈævəl// trav·el Archaic General-service

n. the activity of going to different places, especially ones that are far away. You use it to talk about the general idea of moving from place to place.

n. the general activity or process of journeying to distant geographical locations. Often used to describe the industry or the abstract concept of movement rather than a single specific trip.


SIMPLE

Air travel is much faster than going by train.

CONTEXTUAL

Her job involves a lot of international travel to meet with clients across Europe.

COMPLEX

While individual journeys may be exhausting, the broader concept of travel remains a powerful catalyst for personal growth and cultural understanding in a globalised world.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

PIE word *tréyes From Middle English travelen (“to make a laborious journey, travel”) from Middle Scots travailen (“to toil, work, travel”), alteration of Middle English travaillen (“to toil, work”), from Old French travailler (“to trouble, suffer, be worn out”). See the doublets travail and travois. Compare typologically routine << Latin rupta via. Note the inverse semantic vectors: travel moves from a subjective state (toil) to an objective action (journey), while routine moves from an objective object (beaten path) to a subjective pattern (habit). Largely displaced native fare, from Old English faran (“to go [a long distance], to travel”). More at fare.

Etymology 2

From Middle English travail, travell, from Old French travail, travaille, travaillie, traval, travalle, traveaul, traveil, traveille, travel. Doublet of travail.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general activity; 'travels' (plural) can be used to describe a person's specific experiences or journeys over time.

Pitfall

I had a good travel yesterday.I had a good trip yesterday.Travel is uncountable and refers to the general activity; use 'trip' or 'journey' for a single, specific instance of going somewhere.

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