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Synonyms

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.


passenger British  
/ ˈpæsɪndʒə /

noun

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

    2. ( as modifier )

      a passenger seat

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Nobody was injured in the crash, but Woods had to crawl out of the passenger door to free himself.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 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

The driver of the Toyota sustained moderate injuries, and an elderly passenger in the Honda also had complaints of pain, the spokesperson said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

It was a national project to select landing sites for future passenger airports in the Crimea, Caucasus, and Sea of Azov areas.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein