excursion

excursion — noun

1. a short trip that a person or group takes for enjoyment, usually to a nearby pla

1.nounB1
Definition

a short trip that a person or group takes for enjoyment, usually to a nearby place and back within a single day or less

Example

Last summer, Adaeze joined a weekend excursion to the mountains with her classmates.

excursion + to [place] for group

The cruise company offered an excursion to a small fishing village on the coast.

Common collocations
  • day excursion
  • school excursion
  • boat excursion
  • guided excursion
  • group excursion
  • weekend excursion
Synonyms
  • trip

    more general; can be for any purpose, including business

  • outing

    a short trip for fun, often informal and by a small group

  • jaunt

    a short, carefree trip for pleasure, often with a sense of spontaneity

  • expedition

    a longer, more purposeful journey, often involving planning and exploration

Antonyms
  • staycation

    a holiday spent at home, the opposite of going out on a trip

Grammar Patterns

excursion + to (place)

excursion + into (place)

go on an excursion

take an excursion

Usage Note

Often used with organised groups — school, tour, or cruise groups. The phrase 'day excursion' is especially common when returning on the same day.

Common Mistakes

We went on an excursion to the supermarket.
We went on an excursion to the beach.
An excursion is a leisure trip to a place of interest, not a routine errand.

2. a brief period when someone tries an activity that is different from their usual

2.nounB2
Definition

a brief period when someone tries an activity that is different from their usual occupation or interests

Example

Noor's excursion into painting lasted only a few months before she lost interest.

excursion + into [activity]

The journalist described her short excursion into politics as a valuable learning experience.

Common collocations
  • excursion into politics
  • excursion into acting
  • excursion into writing
  • brief excursion
  • short excursion
Synonyms
  • foray

    a brief attempt at something new, often outside one's usual area; very similar in meaning but slightly more active

  • venture

    a new, often risky undertaking; can be longer and more serious than an excursion

  • detour

    a temporary departure from the usual path — used both literally and figuratively

Antonyms
  • career

    a long-term professional path, the opposite of a brief side activity

  • specialty

    one's main area of expertise, not a temporary interest

Grammar Patterns

excursion + into (activity)

excursion + into (field/domain)

Usage Note

Subject is typically a person's own brief attempt at something outside their usual field or role. The noun is almost always singular in this sense.

Common Mistakes

His excursion into cooking was a huge success that lasted for ten years.
His excursion into cooking lasted only one summer.
Excursion in this sense implies a short, temporary involvement, not a long-term career change.

3. an act of temporarily moving away from the correct route, path, or subject that

3.nounC1
Definition

an act of temporarily moving away from the correct route, path, or subject that one was following

Example

The driver's excursion onto the wrong road added twenty minutes to the journey.

excursion + onto [wrong route]

Ilan's talk was interesting, though his excursion into personal stories strayed from the main topic.

Common collocations
  • excursion from the route
  • excursion onto a side road
  • unintended excursion
  • brief excursion
  • excursion into side topics
Synonyms
  • deviation

    a more general term for going off course; less likely to imply a return

  • digression

    specifically about straying from a subject in speech or writing

  • detour

    a temporary change of route, often planned or forced by circumstances

Antonyms
  • direct route

    the straight or intended path, with no diversions

  • main point

    the central topic, the opposite of a digression

Grammar Patterns

excursion + from (path)

excursion + onto (wrong route)

excursion + into (topic)

Usage Note

Common in contexts of travel routes or spoken and written discourse. The deviation is always temporary; for permanent changes, use 'departure' or 'divergence' instead.

Common Mistakes

The plane's excursion from its route was permanent.
The plane's excursion from its route lasted only a few minutes before the pilot corrected it.
Excursion always implies a temporary, not a permanent, change of course.

Word family

  • excursionist
    nounC1
  • excursive
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Trip is the most general word for any journey with a purpose, including business: 'a business trip to Tokyo.' Outing suggests an informal, often spontaneous group activity for fun: 'a family outing to the beach.' Jaunt has a carefree, almost playful tone and implies a very short trip: 'a weekend jaunt to the countryside.' Expedition is more serious and implies planning, distance, and often exploration or a specific goal: 'a scientific expedition to the Arctic.' Excursion sits between outing and expedition — it is longer than a jaunt but still brief, and it is often organised for a group. For a learner, if you joined a paid or organised short pleasure trip, 'excursion' is the best fit; for anything formal or goal-oriented, use 'expedition'; for casual fun, use 'outing'.

tripoutingjauntexpedition

Common collocations

Nouns

  • day excursion
  • boat excursion
  • bus excursion
  • field excursion
  • shopping excursion
  • school excursion

Phrases

  • go on an excursion
  • take an excursion
  • make an excursion
  • organise an excursion

Prepositions

  • on an excursion
  • excursion to
  • excursion into
  • excursion from

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Excursion comes from the Latin verb 'excurrere', meaning 'to run out' — a combination of 'ex-' (out) and 'currere' (to run). It travelled into English through French 'excursion' in the 1500s. The original idea of 'running out' evolved into 'going out on a journey', and later gained figurative meanings of briefly stepping into a different activity or topic.