travelling

travelling — noun

1. the practice of visiting different places, regions, or countries as part of a jo

1.nounA2
Definition

the practice of visiting different places, regions, or countries as part of a journey made for enjoyment, work, or personal discovery.

Example

After retiring, Gabriel took up travelling and visited over twenty countries in three years.

collocation: took up travelling

Eve loves travelling by train because she can watch the countryside change outside the window.

collocation: love + travelling

Common collocations
  • go travelling
  • love travelling
  • travelling companion
  • travelling expenses
  • travelling time
Synonyms
  • travel

    more general and formal; 'travel' as a noun refers to the concept or industry, while 'travelling' emphasises the personal activity

  • tourism

    specifically refers to travelling for pleasure, usually with organised tours or visits to attractions

  • journeying

    more literary or formal, emphasises the process of moving between specific points

Antonyms
  • staying

    remaining in one place rather than moving around

Usage Note

Used as an uncountable noun. In British English, the double-l spelling (travelling) is standard; American English uses traveling (one l).

Common Mistakes

I have a lot of travellings this year.
I have a lot of travelling to do this year.
'travelling' is uncountable and has no plural form.

2. in basketball, an illegal action in which a player holding the ball moves both f

2.nounB2
Definition

in basketball, an illegal action in which a player holding the ball moves both feet more than twice without bouncing it on the floor.

Example

The referee blew the whistle and called a travelling violation on Luca for taking three steps without bouncing the ball.

collocation: called a travelling violation

Takeshi's coach yelled at him to stop taking extra steps — the referee had spotted the travelling immediately.

Common collocations
  • call travelling
  • commit travelling
  • a travelling violation
  • get caught travelling
Synonyms
  • walking

    informal basketball term for the same violation, more common in pickup games and casual play

  • steps

    another informal term — 'he took too many steps'

Usage Note

This sense is specific to basketball rules. In American English, this is spelled traveling with one l.

Common Mistakes

The player committed a travelling.
The player committed a travelling violation.
'travelling' alone is the action; the full term 'travelling violation' is more precise and natural in official contexts.

travelling — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words describe the act of moving from place to place, 'travelling' emphasises the personal, hands-on activity of making journeys — you are the one packing bags, buying tickets, and experiencing the road. 'Travel' as a noun is more abstract and general: people talk about the travel industry, travel insurance, or travel plans without necessarily referring to a specific trip. 'Tourism' narrows the focus to leisure travel, often involving organised sightseeing and attractions. 'Voyaging' carries a more literary or historical tone, suggesting long, adventurous sea journeys. 'Journeying' is similarly literary, implying a deliberate, often transformative passage rather than routine movement. Example: 'Eve loves travelling by train' (personal activity); 'Tourism has boosted the local economy' (industry); 'The family spent years voyaging across the Pacific' (epic journey).

travel ↗tourismvoyagingjourneying

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • travelling + around
  • travelling + through
  • travelling + across
  • travelling + between

Etymology

Vulgar LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'travel' comes from Middle English 'travailen', meaning 'to toil, labour, or journey', borrowed from Old French 'travailier' (to work hard, to suffer). This French verb traces back to Vulgar Latin 'tripaliāre', meaning 'to torture with a tripalium' — a three-staked instrument of torture used in Roman times. The connection between hard labour and making a journey reflects how arduous and dangerous travel was in the medieval world. By the 14th century, 'travel' had shifted from meaning 'hard work' to 'making a journey', though the spelling 'travail' (painful effort) and 'travel' (journey) remained closely linked for centuries. The double-l spelling 'travelling' is standard in British English, while American English simplifies to one l ('traveling') following Noah Webster's 19th-century spelling reforms.