English Reference
verb · noun

visit

v. · n.
US /ˈvɪzɪt/ UK /vˈɪzɪt/ vis·it UK spelling visits

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    v.to go to see a person or a place for a short time, often for fun or to talk.

    v.to go to a place or see a person for a specific purpose, such as socialising, tourism, or business. Transitive — takes a direct object.

    Simple

    We plan to visit my grandparents during the summer holidays.

    In context

    The delegation intends to visit several manufacturing sites across the region to assess their compliance with new environmental regulations.

    Pitfall
    I will visit to London next week. I will visit London next week.

    The verb 'visit' is transitive and does not take the preposition 'to' before the place or person.

    stop bycall ontour
  2. 02 A2 Elementary Computing

    v.to open and look at a page on the internet.

    v.to access a website or digital platform. Transitive use in a computing context.

    Simple

    You can visit our website to find more information about the course.

    In context

    Users who visit the portal frequently will notice that the interface has been updated for better mobile compatibility.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency LiteraryArchaic

    v.to cause someone to suffer from a sickness or a problem.

    v.to afflict or come upon someone, often used for diseases, misfortunes, or divine punishment.

    Simple

    In the old story, a terrible fever visited the village during the winter.

    In context

    The poet describes how the sins of the ancestors were visited upon the children of the third generation.

    Usage

    Often used in the passive voice or with the preposition 'upon'.

    afflictstrike
  4. 04 A2 Elementary

    n.an occasion when you go to see a person or a place.

    n.a stay or a call as a guest or sightseer; a single instance of the verb's action.

    Simple

    The president's visit to the school was a big surprise for the students.

    In context

    During her brief visit to the capital, she managed to attend three gallery openings and a formal dinner at the embassy.

    Pitfall
    It was a short visit of London. It was a short visit to London.

    While the verb 'visit' takes no preposition, the noun 'visit' usually takes 'to'.

  5. 05 B1 Intermediate Medicine

    n.a meeting with a doctor or a professional at their office.

    n.a professional consultation with a physician or healthcare provider, either at a clinic or the patient's residence.

    Simple

    The doctor charged fifty dollars for the home visit.

    In context

    The patient was advised to schedule a follow-up visit to ensure the wound was healing correctly after the surgery.

Usage visit to the country · visit family


From Middle English visiten, from Old French visiter, from Latin vīsitō, frequentative of vīsō (“behold, survey”), from videō (“see”). Cognate with Old Saxon wīsōn (“to visit, afflict”), archaic German weisen (“to visit, afflict”). Displaced native Old English sēċan (“to visit”) and sōcn (“a visit”). The noun is from French visite or the verb. Doublet of visite.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin French visite
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated