English Reference

Word

visit

Phoneticsvis·it, stress on the first syllable

US/ˈvɪzɪt/

UK/vˈɪzɪt/

Definitions

01to go to a place or person

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.

“We plan to visit my grandparents during the summer holidays.”

“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.

Synonyms

stop bycall ontour

Antonyms

02to go to a website

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.

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

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

Synonyms

03to afflict or punish

C2 · Proficiency Literary · Archaic

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.

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

“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'.

Synonyms

afflictstrike

04an act of visiting

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

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.

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

“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'.

Synonyms

05medical appointment

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun 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.

“The doctor charged fifty dollars for the home visit.”

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

Real-World Examples

“Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Kumamoto Prefecture on Wednesday to comfort people affected by a powerful earthquake that struck the prefecture in late July and to thank those engaged in relief efforts and support activities.”
The Japan Times 30 Sept 2026
“His visit to Eswatini - Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa - followed "days of careful arrangements by the diplomatic and national security teams", he said, without giving further details on how he reached the country.”
BBC News 4 May 2026
“The Prince and Princess of Wales were caught in a rainstorm as they visited the Natural History Museum for their first official engagement since their summer break.”
BBC News 4 Sept 2025

Etymology

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.

Word family

VERB

visit(A1)

Idioms

Domain

Medicine

This entry

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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