journey

journey — noun

1. a trip you take when going between different places, often taking a fair amount

1.nounA2
Definition

a trip you take when going between different places, often taking a fair amount of time and using some form of transport

Example

The train journey from Taipei to Kaohsiung took just over ninety minutes.

collocation: train journey / bus journey / car journey

After a long journey across the desert, the travellers finally reached the oasis.

preposition: journey + across + [place]

Common collocations
  • long journey
  • train journey
  • bus journey
  • car journey
  • return journey
  • outward journey
Synonyms
  • trip

    Usually shorter and often includes a return — 'a day trip to the beach'. More common in everyday speech.

  • voyage

    Used for travel by sea or through space. More formal and specific than 'journey'.

  • excursion

    A short trip for pleasure, often in a group. More planned and recreational.

Antonyms
  • stay

    Remaining in one place instead of travelling

Grammar Patterns

a/the + journey + (from X) + (to Y)

a + ADJ + journey

Usage Note

Used with prepositions such as 'to', 'from', 'through', 'across', and 'into' to indicate the route or destination. Unlike 'travel' (uncountable), 'journey' is a countable noun and can be used with 'a' or numbers: a long journey, two bus journeys.

Common Mistakes

I made a travel to London yesterday.
I made a journey to London yesterday.
'Travel' is uncountable and does not take 'a' for a specific trip.
The journey was very tired.
The journey was very tiring.
Use the -ing adjective 'tiring' to describe what the journey is like, not 'tired', which describes how a person feels.

2. a series of personal experiences through the months or years that change you or

2.nounB1
Definition

a series of personal experiences through the months or years that change you or help you grow as a person

Example

Padma called her battle with illness a spiritual journey that changed her life.

adjective before journey: spiritual journey / emotional journey / personal journey

The documentary follows the emotional journey of a family rebuilding their home after the earthquake.

Common collocations
  • spiritual journey
  • emotional journey
  • personal journey
  • healing journey
  • journey of self-discovery
Synonyms
  • path

    Suggests a direction or route in life. Less emotional than 'journey'; can feel more neutral.

  • process

    Focuses on the steps involved rather than the emotional aspect. More clinical and factual.

  • pilgrimage

    A journey with deep spiritual or personal meaning. More intense and specific than 'journey'.

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

a/an + ADJ + journey

a + NOUN + of + NOUN

Usage Note

Often modified by adjectives describing growth or emotion: spiritual journey, emotional journey, personal journey, healing journey. This sense is almost always used in the singular.

Common Mistakes

Starting a new job is a travel of self-discovery.
Starting a new job is a journey of self-discovery.
Use 'journey' for personal growth metaphors, not 'travel'.

3. a book or folder that keeps a record of what a school student has learned and ac

3.nounB2
Definition

a book or folder that keeps a record of what a school student has learned and achieved over a school year or term

Example

Every term, the teacher adds new pages to each student's learning journey folder.

collocation: learning journey folder / learning journey book

Aoi's learning journey showed steady progress in reading and mathematics throughout the year.

Common collocations
  • learning journey folder
  • learning journey book
  • child's learning journey
  • student's learning journey
Synonyms
  • portfolio

    More common internationally. Can include work samples, not just achievements.

  • record

    Simpler and more general. Does not imply an ongoing, structured document.

Grammar Patterns

possessive + learning journey

a/an + NOUN + learning journey

Usage Note

Chiefly British English. In the UK school system, also called a 'learning log' or 'learning portfolio'. Not commonly used in American English — 'portfolio' is the preferred term.

journey — verb

Word family

  • journeyman
    nounC2
  • journeyer
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe moving from one place to another, but they differ in length, purpose, and usage. 'Journey' emphasises the act of travelling itself, especially over a significant distance or time. 'Trip' is more common in everyday speech and often implies a return — a trip to the shops or a business trip. 'Voyage' is reserved for travel by sea or through space, giving it a more dramatic or historical feel. 'Travel' is uncountable and refers to the general activity, never a specific instance (you say 'a journey', not 'a travel'). 'Excursion' is a short trip for pleasure, usually in a group. For example: 'We took a train journey across the country' (focus on the experience of travelling), 'a day trip to the beach' (short, round-trip), and 'a voyage across the Atlantic' (by sea, often lengthy).

trip ↗voyage ↗travel ↗excursion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • on a journey
  • set out on a journey
  • go on a journey
  • make a journey
  • begin a journey

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'journey' comes from Old French 'journee', meaning a day's travel or a day's work — the distance you could cover in a single day. This in turn came from Latin 'diurnum', meaning 'of a day' or 'daily portion', related to 'dies' meaning 'day'. The sense of 'a day's travel' eventually broadened to any trip, and later gained the metaphorical meaning of a life-changing experience.