adventure

1 of 2

noun

ad·​ven·​ture əd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce adventure (audio)
1
a
: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks
a book recounting his many bold adventures
b
: the encountering of risks
the spirit of adventure
2
: an exciting or remarkable experience
an adventure in exotic dining
They were looking for adventure.
3
: an enterprise involving financial risk
wanted to pay off her debts before embarking on any new financial adventures

adventure

2 of 2

verb

adventured; adventuring əd-ˈven-ch(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce adventure (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to expose to danger or loss : venture
… those who adventured their persons and lives risked all they had for a slender reward.Joseph Conrad
2
: to venture upon (see venture entry 1 sense 2) : try
… the task was always one of great difficulty and art—so much so, that it could seldom be adventured in rough or windy weather.Edward Bulwer-Lytton

intransitive verb

1
: to proceed despite risk
… people going away to adventure upon the sea …Virginia Woolf
2
: to take the risk
… I would adventure for such merchandiseWilliam Shakespeare

Examples of adventure in a Sentence

Noun The field trip was an adventure for the students. He told us about his camping adventures. They were looking for adventure. Verb adventured all his savings in a very risky investment scheme if I had to adventure a guess, I'd say she's about 35
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Lacking the self-conscious grimness of Arrow that initially kept it away from four-color adventures, The Flash was immediately liberated to go full comic book, kickstarting the small-screen answer to the MCU. Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 What’s the best way to prepare for an adventure race? Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
Verb
Teens can play everything from sports games to adventure. Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 But thanks to all that gear, Jakob and his family of six (plus two dogs) have been able to adventure around the world and visit many of the globe’s most beautiful spots. Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for adventure 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English aventure, adventure (with -d- restored from Latin) "fortune, chance, occurrence, risk, enterprise, wonder," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Vulgar Latin *adventūra "what will happen," going back to Latin, feminine singular (originally neuter plural) of adventūrus, future participle of advenīre "to arrive at, reach, arise, develop" — more at advent

Verb

alteration (with -d- restored from Latin) of Middle English aventuren, auntren "to happen, expose to risk, take a chance," borrowed from Anglo-French aventurer, verb derivative of aventure "chance, occurrence, risk" — more at adventure entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1529, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of adventure was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near adventure

Cite this Entry

“Adventure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adventure. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

adventure

1 of 2 noun
ad·​ven·​ture əd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce adventure (audio)
1
: an action involving unknown risks or dangers
2
: the encountering of risks
the spirit of adventure
3
: an unusual or exciting experience
the field trip was an adventure

adventure

2 of 2 verb
adventured; adventuring
-ˈvench-(ə-)riŋ
1
2
: to venture upon
explorers adventuring the wilderness

More from Merriam-Webster on adventure

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!