Meaning & use
a pilgrim
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
a person who travels to a holy place for religious reasons
Grammar: Countable noun; use 'a pilgrim' for one, 'pilgrims' for more than one.
Patterns
- a pilgrim to a place
- a pilgrim at a shrine
Every spring, a pilgrim walks the long path to the mountain shrine.
She met a pilgrim from Spain who had been walking for a month.
A pilgrim often carries very little and relies on the kindness of strangers.
nouncountablefigurative
someone who travels a long way to visit a place they deeply respect, not necessarily for religion
Grammar: Used figuratively; still countable and often followed by 'to'.
Patterns
- a pilgrim to a place
Fans make a yearly journey to Graceland like a pilgrim to a sacred site.
He called himself a pilgrim to the old library, visiting it whenever he could.
Word forms
| plural | pilgrims |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pilgrim's journey
- The book describes a pilgrim's journey across the desert.
- a pilgrim's progress
- Her career has been a slow pilgrim's progress toward mastery.
- a group of pilgrims
- A group of pilgrims gathered at the gate before dawn.
- a pilgrim route
- The old pilgrim route passes through several small villages.
- a pilgrim shrine
- The cathedral is a famous pilgrim shrine in Europe.
Synonyms and how they differ
- traveler
- A general word for anyone on a trip; 'pilgrim' specifically suggests a religious or deeply respectful purpose.
- worshipper
- Focuses on the act of worship rather than the journey; a pilgrim may travel far to worship.
- wanderer
- Suggests moving without a fixed goal, while a pilgrim usually has a clear destination.
Word family
- pilgrimage noun
- the journey a pilgrim makes
- pilgrimage verb
- to go on a pilgrimage (less common)
Commonly confused: a pilgrim or pilgrimage?
a pilgrim vs pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is the trip itself; a pilgrim is the person who makes it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a pilgrim' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'a pilgrim' as a countable noun for one person. Option 1 confuses the person with the journey. Option 2 uses 'pilgrim' where the noun 'pilgrimage' is needed. Option 3 uses 'of' where 'on' or 'to' would be natural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a pilgrim”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.