explorer

explorer — noun

1. someone whose job or hobby is to go to distant or unexplored parts of the world

1.nounB1
Definition

someone whose job or hobby is to go to distant or unexplored parts of the world and discover new things about them

Example

As a young explorer, Jabari mapped large areas of the Amazon rainforest.

explorer + mapped + area names

The explorer Sora spent three years traveling across the Arctic studying ice and weather patterns.

Common collocations
  • famous explorer
  • polar explorer
  • young explorer
  • explorer + expedition
  • explorer + journey
Synonyms
  • adventurer

    focuses more on risk and excitement than on systematic discovery

  • pioneer

    emphasises being the first to enter or settle a new area

  • discoverer

    stresses finding something specific that was previously unknown

Antonyms
  • homebody

    someone who prefers staying at home over traveling

Grammar Patterns

explorer + of [area/region]

Usage Note

Often used historically for figures who undertook long journeys, but modern use includes scientists, journalists, and adventurers working in remote locations.

Common Mistakes

I was an explorer in Paris last summer.
I was a tourist in Paris last summer.
an explorer travels to unknown places for discovery, not well-known cities for pleasure.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An explorer travels to unknown or little-known places, often for scientific or geographical purposes. An adventurer also seeks exciting experiences, but the focus is more on risk and thrill than on learning or discovery. A pioneer is the first person to enter or settle a new area — the emphasis is on being first, not on travel itself. A discoverer finds something that was previously unknown (a place, a species, a fact), while a traveler simply moves between places, usually along known routes. For example, Roald Amundsen was both an explorer and a discoverer; a weekend backpacker in Europe is a traveler, not an explorer.

explorer ↗adventurer ↗pioneer ↗discoverer ↗traveler ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

  • explorer of [region]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'explorer' came into English from French 'explorateur', which traces back to Latin 'explorator', meaning 'one who searches out'. The Latin verb 'explorare' was formed from 'ex-' (out) and 'plorare' (to cry out — possibly referring to hunters shouting to flush out game). By the 1500s, English speakers were using 'explorer' for people who traveled into unknown lands to investigate them.