Meaning & use
overlanding
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Meanings
noununcountable
Long-distance travel in a rugged vehicle, usually over rough or remote ground, where people carry their own camping and supplies.
Grammar: Has no plural: overlanding is popular in Africa.
Patterns
- go overlanding
- overlanding across somewhere
They spent two years overlanding from London to Cape Town.
Overlanding appeals to people who prefer the journey to the destination.
Her truck was built for overlanding, with a roof tent and extra fuel tanks.
noununcountableAustralianold-fashioned
The old practice in Australia of driving livestock over long distances on foot to new grazing land or markets.
Grammar: Used mainly in historical contexts and without a plural.
Patterns
- overlanding of cattle
Overlanding cattle across the continent could take many months.
Stories of early overlanding fill the museum's displays.
He wrote a book about overlanding in the nineteenth century.
Common combinations
- go overlanding
- We plan to go overlanding in Mongolia next summer.
- overlanding vehicle
- An overlanding vehicle needs strong tires and plenty of storage.
- overlanding trip
- Their overlanding trip lasted six months.
- overlanding gear
- He spent months choosing his overlanding gear.
- overlanding adventure
- The family shared their overlanding adventure online.
Synonyms and how they differ
- road trip
- A road trip is any journey by car and is usually shorter and on paved roads, while overlanding is longer and often off-road.
- expedition
- Expedition suggests a planned exploring or research trip, whereas overlanding focuses on self-reliant travel by vehicle.
- off-roading
- Off-roading is mainly about driving on rough ground for fun, while overlanding is about long journeys with camping and supplies.
Word family
Commonly confused: overlanding or overland?
overlanding vs overland
Overland describes travel across land in general, while overlanding names a specific style of long, self-reliant vehicle travel.
Practice
Which activity best describes overlanding?
Choose one answer.
Overlanding is long, self-reliant travel by rugged vehicle across remote land. The other choices describe air, commuter or sea travel.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “overlanding”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.