Itinerant
/ɪˈtɪnərənt/
adjectivenounC1
Definition
Itinerant means traveling from one place to another instead of staying in one place. It often describes people who work in different locations over time, like workers, performers, or salespeople who move around rather than having a single home or office.
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See It in Action
Moving from place to place, especially for work
- •The itinerant teacher taught in several rural schools during the year.
- •Itinerant workers often find jobs in different cities depending on the season.
- •The festival featured itinerant musicians traveling to many villages.
A person who travels regularly for work
- •Many itinerants work as traveling salespeople or repair technicians.
- •The company hired itinerants to cover different locations without permanent offices.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "itinerant" like "travel" (A1 word), but it means moving regularly and often for work, not just a holiday or one trip
- ✓Picture a person carrying a bag walking from town to town, never staying very long in one place
- ✓It's the feeling of always being on the road, meeting new people, and never settling down for long
- ✓Sounds like "I-tin-er-ant" → Imagine a tiny ant (tiny = "tin") that walks a lot, moving from leaf to leaf without stopping
- ✓Think of traveling salespeople or circus performers who go to many towns to do their job
- ✓NOT like "tourist" (who travels for fun), itinerant people usually travel for work or necessity
- ✓NOT like "immobile" (staying still), itinerant means moving regularly and often
- ✓NOT like "nomad" (a person who moves with no fixed home, often culturally or historically), itinerant usually focuses on temporary movement for specific reasons like work
Try Other Words
- •Mobile: able to move or be moved easily (Use when focusing on ability to move, not necessarily regularly moving)
- •Roaming: moving around without a fixed place (Use when movement is more free or without set purpose)
- •Nomadic: living by moving from place to place, often culturally or traditionally (Use when referring to groups or people with a lifestyle of moving, not just work-related travel)
- •Peripatetic: traveling from place to place, especially for work or teaching (Use as a formal synonym, often for teachers or professionals)
Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: from Latin "itiner-" meaning "journey" or "route," plus "-ant" indicating an adjective or noun form (someone who does something)
- •Etymology: from Latin "itinerans," present participle of "itinere" meaning "to travel"
- •Historical development: first used in English in the 17th century to describe traveling people or workers
- •Modern usage: used to describe people or jobs involving regular travel between places, especially for work or duties
Reflect & Connect
•How would your life be different if you had an itinerant job or lifestyle? What would you like or dislike about it?
•Can you think of modern jobs or situations where being itinerant is common or necessary?
Fill in the blanks
1.An itinerant worker usually moves from place to place because ___ ___ ___ a permanent office or home.
2.The feeling of being itinerant often comes with ___ ___ ___ to new places and people.
3.Unlike a tourist, an itinerant person travels mainly for ___ ___ ___.
4.Itinerant teachers often ___ ___ ___ different schools during the year.
5.The word itinerant sounds like "tiny ant" because it helps you imagine someone who ___ ___ ___ a lot.
6.When someone is itinerant, they are not ___ ___ ___ one place for a long time.
7.A company might hire itinerant staff to cover ___ ___ ___ locations without permanent offices.