en route

[ ahn root, en; French ahn-root ]
See synonyms for en route on Thesaurus.com
adverb, adjective
  1. on the way: The plane crashed en route from Cairo to Athens.

Origin of en route

1
Borrowed into English from French around 1770–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use en route in a sentence

  • He would give them money to return to their lines and for petty expenses en route.

    The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
  • At last, rather tired by my long day, made my way back, stopping at Birdie's dugout en route.

  • And an escort of State Troopers were en route to take him over to the real clink at the county seat.

  • He reached Springfield in safety and there joined a wagon train en route for Rolla, guarded by a detachment of fifty cavalry.

  • He did not know where he was going, but expected to pick up information on that question en route.

    Scattergood Baines | Clarence Budington Kelland

British Dictionary definitions for en route

en route

/ (ɒn ˈruːt, French ɑ̃ rut) /


adverb
  1. on or along the way; on the road

Origin of en route

1
C18: from French

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 Idioms and Phrases with en route

en route

On or along the way, as in We'll pick up Dan en route to the restaurant, or We can finish our discussion en route. This French term was adopted into English in the late 1700s.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.