adverb
en route
on ROOT
En route (adverb) means On the way to a place; during a journey. Example: “The parcel is en route and should arrive on Thursday.”
adverb
1
On the way to a place; during a journey.
"The parcel is en route and should arrive on Thursday."
"We stopped for lunch en route to the coast."
adjective
1
chiefly technical Travelling towards a destination and not yet arrived.
"Two of the en route aircraft were diverted because of fog."
How to use en route
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOn the way somewhere.
When to use it
Neutral; extremely common in travel, delivery and aviation contexts.
Memory tip
Follow it with "to" for the destination and "from" for the starting point: en route from Leeds to York.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
en route vs on route
en route vs in transit
Common pairings
en route to
already en route
en route from
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The parcel is _____ and should arrive on Thursday.
Etymology
From French en route, literally "on the road".
Synonyms
View more →
on the way
in transit
along the way
Related words
Rhymes for en route
See all rhymes for en route →Frequently asked questions
Is it en route or on route?
En route is the correct spelling, borrowed from French. "On route" is a common misspelling that arises because the phrase is often pronounced as though it began with the English word on.
How do you pronounce en route?
Most speakers say "on root", keeping the French nasal-ish first syllable and the oo vowel. "En rout", with the vowel of shout, is heard in American English but is less usual.
Do you need a hyphen in en route?
No. It is written as two separate words, and it is no longer italicised in ordinary English writing.
What is the meaning of en route?
"en route" (adverb) means on the way to a place; during a journey.
