passenger

noun

pas·​sen·​ger ˈpa-sᵊn-jər How to pronounce passenger (audio)
Synonyms of passengernext
often attributive
1
: wayfarer
2
: a traveler in a public or private conveyance

Examples of passenger in a Sentence

There were two passengers in the car in addition to the driver. There's no room for passengers on this project; everybody must do his share of the work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Per Reuters, the passengers are seeking millions of dollars in damages. — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026 The company charges $20 per guest, per day for those in suites, and $18 for all other passengers. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 8 July 2026 No injuries were reported to either the passengers or the vehicle, and the company reached out to the riders after their trip. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026 Strong demand for air freight and long Airbus and Boeing delivery backlogs are making passenger-to-freighter conversions an attractive way to get more value from existing aircraft. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for passenger

Word History

Etymology

Middle English passager, from Anglo-French, from passage path, way, passage, from passer

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of passenger was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing passenger

Browse Nearby Words

passemezzo
passenger
passenger car
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Passenger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passenger. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

passenger

noun
pas·​sen·​ger ˈpas-ᵊn-jər How to pronounce passenger (audio)
: a person riding in or on a vehicle

More from Merriam-Webster on passenger

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for passenger

Nglish: Translation of passenger for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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