excursion
noun
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A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 album The Low End Theory is not only widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, but one of the genre’s most successful early excursions into jazz, utilizing samples and even featuring legendary bassist Ron Carter on one song. Excursion refers to a usually brief, pleasurable trip, and is often used figuratively—as in the previous sentence—for metaphorical trips outside of one’s usual territory, be they artistic or otherwise. The word comes from the Latin verb excurrere (“to run out” or “to extend”), which combines the prefix ex- meaning “out of” and the verb currere meaning “to run.” Although it is sometimes used to refer to attacks or raids made against an enemy, as in “military excursions,” excursion is mostly used today for much more enjoyable jaunts, junkets, and rambles. Accordingly, on your next excursion, whether to the park, beach, or elsewhere, you could do worse than to queue up The Low End Theory on your playlist. The album’s first track, after all, is titled “Excursions.”
Examples of excursion in a Sentence
Casey Barber, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2025
The company also offers excursions to neighboring Two Top Mountain.
—Shelby Knick, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Family-friendly Offerings The atmosphere on board isn’t geared toward children, with active excursions, lectures on scientific topics, cocktails in the evening, and plenty of dressy dinners.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2025
Madden posted a highlight reel from their European vacation which included sipping wine with friends, dining with the Eiffel Tower as their backdrop and enjoying a boating excursion.
—Audrey Schmidt, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excursion
Cite this Entry
“Excursion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excursion. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
excursion
noun
from Latin excursio, excursion- "a going out," from excurrere "to run out, make an excursion, extend," from ex- "out, forth" and currere "to run" — related to current
Medical Definition
excursion
noun
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