passenger
UK: ˈpæsɪndʒə | US: ˈpæsəndʒər
n. a person who travels in a vehicle (e.g., car, train, ship) but does not operate it
n. (archaic) a passerby or transient traveler
passenger = pass<go> + eng<old French suffix> + er<agent suffix>
- pass (from Latin passus, "step, go") → retains the core meaning of movement.
- eng (Old French -enc, a suffix forming nouns) → historically used in words denoting roles or actions.
- er (agent suffix) → indicates a person performing an action (e.g., "traveler").
Etymology Origin:
The word "passenger" evolved from Middle English passager (a traveler), borrowed from Old French passagier, derived from passage (to pass). The intrusive -n- appeared in the 15th century, likely influenced by words like "messenger" (now "messenger"). Originally, it referred broadly to any traveler, but by the 16th century, it narrowed to its modern sense of a non-operating traveler in a vehicle.
The train can carry up to 200 passengers.
She boarded the flight as a first-class passenger.
The ship's passengers enjoyed the ocean view.
He offered his seat to an elderly passenger.
The airline compensates passengers for delayed flights.