pilgrimage

1 of 2

noun

pil·​grim·​age ˈpil-grə-mij How to pronounce pilgrimage (audio)
Synonyms of pilgrimagenext
1
: a journey of a pilgrim
especially : one to a shrine or a sacred place
2
: the course of life on earth

pilgrimage

2 of 2

verb

pilgrimaged; pilgrimaging

intransitive verb

: to go on a pilgrimage

Examples of pilgrimage in a Sentence

Noun He made a pilgrimage to Mecca. The family went on a pilgrimage to historical battlefields. The tradition of pilgrimage is important in Islam. The poet's grave site has become a place of pilgrimage. Verb tourists pilgrimaging to all of the traditional destinations across Europe
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The accident occurred near the temple town of Vrindavan, a major Hindu pilgrimage site in Uttar Pradesh state. ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026 Gulbadan herself was tasked by Akbar with leading the imperial pilgrimage to Mecca (ḥajj), a responsibility that reflects her importance as well as the authority women of the inner court could command. Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Nearly 100,000 visitors pilgrimage to the area annually to witness a forest canopy cloaked in orange-and-black wings. Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026 Several hundred of them pilgrimage to Arizona each February for the I Heart Pluto Festival. David Allan, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pilgrimage

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1621, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pilgrimage was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pilgrimage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilgrimage. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

pilgrimage

noun
pil·​grim·​age
ˈpil-grə-mij
: a journey of a pilgrim
pilgrimage verb

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