- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 1772
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈtʊəɹɪst/, /ˈtɔːɹɪst/ (UK); /ˈtʊɹɪst/, /ˈtɝ.ɪst/ (US)[1]
Etymology
It is formed from tour and -ist.[2][3][4]
Earliest recorded meaning
One who travels for pleasure, stopping to see the sights: 1772 in Etymonline, 1780 in the OED and MWU.[2][5][3] At first it often meant a travel writer.[2]
Semantic evolution
Compounds such as tourist agency and tourist attraction are from 1895.[5] A tourist trap was at first a hotel for tourists (1891), and later a place that exploits them.[2] Tourist class, the cheapest accommodation on a ship or aircraft, is from the 1930s.[5] A disparaging note, one who sees sights superficially, developed alongside.[6]
Timeline
- 1772 – a pleasure traveller.[2]
- 1891 – tourist trap.[2]
- 1895 – tourist agency.[5]
- 1936 – tourist class.[5]
Modern meaning
Noun
- A person who travels for pleasure, especially on holiday.
- (sport) A member of a visiting team on tour.
Adjective
- Relating to or for tourists: tourist information.
Word family
- touristic
- touristy
- nontourist
- touristry
- tourist trap
- tourist court
- tourist card
- tourist class
Related words
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry
“Tourist.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/tourist. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
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