adventure

[ ad-ven-cher ]
See synonyms for adventure on Thesaurus.com
noun

  1. an exciting or very unusual experience.

  2. participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure.

  1. a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome.

  2. a commercial or financial speculation of any kind; venture.

  3. Obsolete.

    • peril; danger; risk.

    • chance; fortune; luck.

verb (used with object),ad·ven·tured, ad·ven·tur·ing.

  1. to risk or hazard.

  2. to take the chance of; dare.

  1. to venture to say or utter: to adventure an opinion.

verb (used without object),ad·ven·tured, ad·ven·tur·ing.

  1. to take the risk involved.

  2. to venture; hazard.

Origin of adventure

1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English aventure, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Vulgar Latin adventūra (unrecorded) “what must happen,” feminine (originally neuter plural) of Latin adventūrus future participle of advenīre “to arrive”; ad- ad- replacing a- a-5; see advent, -ure

Other words from adventure

  • ad·ven·ture·ful, adjective
  • un·ad·ven·tur·ing, adjective

Words Nearby adventure

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

How to use adventure in a sentence

  • Its record is largely that of battles and sieges, of the brave adventure of discovery and the vexed slaughter of the nations.

  • He was mounted on a spirited horse and his manner showed he was ready for any kind of an adventure, no matter where it might lead.

  • Hitherto, I have not given the subject much consideration, but I turn over a new leaf from the date of this adventure.

    Glances at Europe | Horace Greeley

  • The adventure had surprisingly followed upon the discovery that Alicia had been quite wrong.

    Hilda Lessways | Arnold Bennett

  • A simple errand and promenade,--and yet she felt herself to be steeped in the romance of an adventure!

    Hilda Lessways | Arnold Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for adventure

adventure

/ (ədˈvɛntʃə) /

noun

  1. a risky undertaking of unknown outcome

  2. an exciting or unexpected event or course of events

  1. a hazardous financial operation; commercial speculation

  2. obsolete

    • danger or misadventure

    • chance

verb

  1. to take a risk or put at risk

  2. (intr foll by into, on, upon) to dare to go or enter (into a place, dangerous activity, etc)

  1. to dare to say (something): he adventured his opinion

Origin of adventure

1
C13: aventure (later altered to adventure after the Latin spelling), via Old French ultimately from Latin advenīre to happen to (someone), arrive

Derived forms of adventure

  • adventureful, adjective

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

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