Meaning & use
maiden voyage
Last updated
Meaning
phrasecountable
The first official journey made by a ship or aircraft after it is built.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a maiden voyage' or 'the maiden voyage' when referring to a specific first trip.
Patterns
- on its maiden voyage
- the maiden voyage of <vessel>
The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in 1912.
The airline celebrated the maiden voyage of its new jet.
The ship's maiden voyage took it from Southampton to New York.
Word forms
| plural | maiden voyages |
|---|
Common combinations
- on its maiden voyage
- The cruise liner caught fire on its maiden voyage.
- maiden voyage of
- The maiden voyage of the Queen Mary was a major event.
- sail on a maiden voyage
- The captain was proud to sail on the ship's maiden voyage.
- maiden voyage celebration
- The maiden voyage celebration included fireworks and a band.
Synonyms and how they differ
- first voyage
- A literal phrase meaning the same, but 'maiden voyage' is the fixed expression used in news and history.
- inaugural journey
- More formal and can refer to any first trip; 'maiden voyage' is specific to ships and aircraft.
Word family
- voyage noun
- A long journey by sea or in space; 'maiden voyage' is the first such journey.
Commonly confused: maiden voyage or voyage?
maiden voyage vs voyage
Voyage is any long journey by ship; a maiden voyage is specifically the first one.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
A maiden voyage is the first official journey of a ship or aircraft. Option 1 correctly describes a first trip. Option 2 is wrong because it says 'last trip'. Option 3 is wrong because it is not a person. Option 4 is wrong because a short trip to a store is not a voyage.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “maiden voyage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.