itinerant

[ ahy-tin-er-uhnt, ih-tin- ]

adjective

1. traveling from place to place, especially on a circuit, as a minister, judge, or sales representative; itinerating; journeying.

   Synonyms: peripatetic, roving, unsettled, migratory, nomadic, wandering

   Antonyms: settled

2. characterized by such traveling:

   itinerant preaching.

3. working in one place for a comparatively short time and then moving on to work in another place, usually as a physical or outdoor laborer; characterized by alternating periods of working and wandering:

   an itinerant farm hand.

   Synonyms: peripatetic, roving, unsettled, migratory, nomadic, wandering

noun

1. a person who alternates between working and wandering.
2. a person who travels from place to place, especially for duty or business.

itinerant

/ ɪˈtɪnərənt; aɪ- /

adjective

1. itinerating
2. working for a short time in various places, esp as a casual labourer

noun

1. an itinerant worker or other person

Derived Forms

• iˈtinerantly, adverb

Other Words From

• i·tiner·ant·ly adverb
• uni·tiner·ant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of itinerant¹

1560–70; < Late Latin itinerant- (stem of itinerāns ), present participle of itinerārī to journey, equivalent to itiner- (stem of iter ) journey ( iter ) + -ant- -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of itinerant¹

C16: from Late Latin itinerārī to travel, from iter a journey

Related Words

• nomadic
• peripatetic
• roving
• wandering