Expedition
/ˌɛkspɪˈdɪʃən/
Definitions
2 meaningsA journey undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose, especially a journey of exploration, research, or a military operation.
/ˌɛkspɪˈdɪʃən/
A journey undertaken by a group of people with a specific purpose, typically for exploration, research, or a mission.
The expedition to the South Pole was fraught with danger.
💡 Simply: Think of an expedition like a special trip with a goal. Like when a group of friends plan a hiking trip to find a hidden waterfall, or scientists go on a long journey to study animals in their natural habitat. It's like a planned adventure!
👶 For kids: A trip that a group of people go on for a special reason, like to explore or to learn something.
More Examples
The museum is organizing an expedition to recover ancient artifacts.
The expedition was a great success, and they discovered many new species of plants and animals.
How It's Used
"The explorers set out on an expedition to discover new lands."
"The research team organized an expedition to study the effects of climate change in the Arctic."
"The military dispatched an expedition to secure the borders."
A group of people undertaking a journey or activity.
/ˌɛkspɪˈdɪʃən/
The group of people undertaking such a journey.
The expedition lost two members in the storm.
💡 Simply: It's like the team of people who are going on the special trip. For example, the whole expedition climbed the mountain.
👶 For kids: The group of people who go on a trip.
More Examples
The expedition arrived at the base camp after a week of hard travel.
The entire expedition returned safely to the base camp.
How It's Used
"The entire expedition faced treacherous conditions in the mountains."
"The expedition was responsible for collecting samples and data."
Idioms & expressions
expeditionary force
A military force sent to accomplish a specific military objective in a foreign country.
"The country deployed an expeditionary force to aid in the conflict."
scientific expedition
A journey undertaken for the purpose of scientific research and discovery.
"A scientific expedition was launched to study the effects of climate change in Antarctica."
From Latin *expeditio* ('a military undertaking'), derived from *expedire* ('to set free, make ready'), from *ex-* ('out') + *ped-* (related to *pes* 'foot'). Originally referred to military campaigns, it later evolved to encompass voyages of discovery and any journey undertaken for a specific purpose.
The word 'expedition' has been used in English since the 16th century, initially referring to military campaigns, before broadening its scope to include voyages of discovery and other organized journeys.
Memory tip
Imagine a group of people packed in a car, ready to go with a mission in mind!
Word Origin
"to set free, make ready; derived from ex- (out) + pes (foot)"