passenger

American  

[pas-uhn-jer] / ˈpæs ən dʒər /

noun

1. a person who is traveling in an automobile, bus, train, airplane, or other conveyance, especially one who is not the driver, pilot, or the like.

2. a wayfarer; traveler.

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passenger British  

/ ˈpæsɪndʒə /

noun

1. 1. a person travelling in a car, train, boat, etc, not driven by him

   2. ( as modifier )

      a passenger seat

2. a member of a group or team who is a burden on the others through not participating fully in the work

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Other Word Forms

• nonpassenger noun

Etymology

Origin of passenger

1300–50; Middle English passager < Middle French, noun use of passag ( i ) er (adj.) passing, temporary; passage ¹, -ier ²; for -n- messenger, harbinger, scavenger, popinjay

Example Sentences

This makes it a welcome passenger on lazy day trips or late-night drives, and a generally acceptable ambient addition to crowded good times.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Meanwhile in August 2025, an Apollo Go robotaxi carrying a passenger in Chongqing fell into a construction pit.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The operational meltdown came even though IndiGo had two years to prepare for the new rules aimed at giving pilots more rest periods in between flights to enhance passenger safety.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Though still in the experimental phase, one stretch in Munich has already taken a human passenger for a ride.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Still, she didn’t exactly blend in—driving around town in the Mercedes convertible she and Frank had bought in Turkey, with Eck von Heinerberg in the passenger seat.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• commuter
• customer
• fare
• patron
• pilgrim
• rider
• tourist
• traveler