Definitions
01to go on a journey
A1 · Beginner
v. to go from one place to another, especially over a long distance.
v. to make a journey; to move from one geographic location to another, typically for leisure or professional purposes.
日本語:旅行する※
“They plan to travel across Europe by train next summer.”
“The executive had to travel extensively throughout Southeast Asia to oversee the opening of the new regional offices.”
Usage
Intransitive; often followed by a prepositional phrase indicating direction or duration.
Pitfall
I am going to travel to London tomorrow.
I am going to London tomorrow.
In English, we usually use 'go' for specific short trips. Use 'travel' for the general activity or long, complex journeys.
02to move or transmit
B1 · Intermediate Science
v. to move from one point to another, like light or sound.
v. to move, pass, or be transmitted through a medium or along a path.
日本語:伝わる※
“Sound travels much slower than light, which is why you see lightning first.”
“The shockwaves from the earthquake travelled hundreds of miles, causing minor tremors in neighbouring countries.”
Usage
Often used with adverbs of speed or manner.
03the activity of journeying
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun
n. the general activity of going to different places.
n. the general activity or concept of making journeys.
日本語:旅行※
“Travel is much cheaper now than it was thirty years ago.”
“International travel has seen a significant increase in volume since the introduction of budget airlines in the late nineties.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general activity.
Pitfall
I had a very good travel last week.
I had a very good trip last week.
Use 'travel' for the general activity (uncountable). Use 'trip' or 'journey' for a single, specific occasion (countable).
Synonyms
04a series of journeys
B1 · Intermediate Plural noun
n. the specific journeys someone has made, often over a long time.
n. a series of journeys or an account of experiences gained while journeying.
“She wrote a fascinating book about her travels in South America.”
“In his later years, the explorer frequently lectured on his travels through the uncharted regions of the Amazon basin.”
Usage
Almost always used in the plural form 'travels'.
Synonyms
05mechanical movement
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Technology Technical
n. the distance a part of a machine moves.
n. the range or distance of movement of a mechanical part, such as a piston or a keyboard key.
“This laptop keyboard has very short travel, so it feels different to type on.”
“The engineer adjusted the cylinder to increase the travel of the piston, thereby improving the machine's overall efficiency.”
Confusables
Travel is the general activity, a journey is the movement from A to B, and a trip is the entire visit including the return.
RememberTravel is the verb; a journey is the path; a trip is the whole package.
Etymology
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.
From Middle English travail, travell, from Old French travail, travaille, travaillie, traval, travalle, traveaul, traveil, traveille, travel. Doublet of travail.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/travel
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0