venture

1 of 2

verb

ven·​ture ˈven(t)-shər How to pronounce venture (audio)
ventured; venturing ˈven(t)-sh(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce venture (audio)
Synonyms of venturenext

intransitive verb

: to proceed especially in the face of danger

transitive verb

1
: to expose to hazard : risk, gamble
ventured a buck or two on the race
2
: to undertake the risks and dangers of : brave
ventured the stormy sea
3
: to offer at the risk of rebuff, rejection, or censure
venture an opinion
venturer
ˈven(t)-sh(ə-)rər How to pronounce venture (audio)
noun

venture

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an undertaking involving chance, risk, or danger
especially : a speculative business enterprise
b
: a venturesome act
2
: something (such as money or property) at stake in a speculative venture
3
obsolete : destiny, fortune, chance
Phrases
at a venture
: at random
a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king— 1 Kings 22:34 (King James Version)

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of venture in a Sentence

Verb We ventured out into the woods. He nervously ventured out onto the ice. The pups never ventured far from home.
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.
Verb
Although this is MrBeast's first venture into literature, the influencer has previously ventured into television with his Prime Video series Beast Games. — Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Hazardous seas also prompted NWS meteorologists to issue a small craft advisory warning inexperienced mariners, especially those in small vessels, against venturing out into the ocean. — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
Seeing my menswear pieces embraced at this level confirms that the vision behind this new venture is resonating with the right audience. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 29 Mar. 2025 On Friday, Musk said another one of his ventures, xAI, was merging with the social network in an all-stock transaction, valuing the artificial intelligence business at $80 billion and the social media business at $33 billion. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for venture

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English venteren, aphetic form of aventuren, auntren "to occur by chance, expose to risk, take a chance" — more at adventure entry 2

Noun

Middle English, aphetic form of aventure — more at adventure entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

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

Phrases Containing venture

Rhymes for venture

See All Rhymes for venture

Browse Nearby Words

Ventura
venture
venture capital
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Venture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venture. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

venture

1 of 2 verb
ven·​ture ˈven-chər How to pronounce venture (audio)
ventured; venturing ˈvench-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce venture (audio)
1
: to expose to risk
ventured a dollar on the lottery
2
: to face the risks and dangers of
ventured the stormy sea
3
: to offer at the risk of being criticized
venture an opinion
venture to disagree
4
: to go ahead in spite of danger
ventured down the cliff
venturer
ˈvench-(ə)-rər How to pronounce venture (audio)
noun

venture

2 of 2 noun
: an undertaking involving chance, risk, or danger
especially : a speculative business enterprise

Legal Definition

venture

noun
ven·​ture
ˈven-chər
: an undertaking involving chance, risk, or danger
especially : a speculative business enterprise see also joint venture

More from Merriam-Webster on venture

Nglish: Translation of venture for Spanish Speakers

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