What does passenger mean?
A passenger is a person who is carried in a vehicle, ship, or aircraft rather than driving, piloting, or otherwise operating it. The word most often refers to someone making an ordinary journey by public transport, but it can also describe passengers in private cars, taxis, trains, ferries, and aircraft. A bus passenger, for example, may be a commuter travelling to work, while a passenger on a cargo flight might be a technician accompanying equipment. In general use, “passenger” is neutral, although the expression “take a passenger” can suggest informal, unofficial transport, such as giving someone a lift. The term contrasts with “driver”: one person controls the vehicle while the other is carried by it. Its history reflects an earlier sense of passing through a place, and the modern word remains common in transport, travel, legal, insurance, and hospitality contexts.
nounA person travelling in a vehicle, ship, or aircraft, especially one who is not the driver, pilot, or operator. The term can also refer more broadly to anyone making a journey who is being carried or transported.
- A person travelling in a vehicle, ship, or aircraft, especially one who is not the driver, pilot, or operator.
- A person carried in or on a vehicle without controlling or operating it.
"She took a window seat, but a nervous passenger occupied the row behind her."
"The bus was delayed, and several passengers missed their connections."
"The technician joined the vehicle as a passenger while it was being driven to the workshop."
A countable noun; use the plural for more than one person travelling in a conveyance.
"The station was crowded with passengers waiting for the next train."
A passenger literally means “one who passes”: the word began with the idea of passing through a place before it came to describe someone being carried along the way.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does passenger come from?
The word entered Middle English through Old French, from a form meaning “one who passes” or “one who passes through.” It ultimately derives from Medieval Latin and the Latin verb passare, “to pass, go through, or travel across,” the same broad root found in words such as passage, pass, and bypass. Over time, the meaning developed from that of a person passing through a place to that of a person travelling in a conveyance.
Related word forms
How passenger is actually used
Passenger is a countable noun. In transport contexts, it contrasts with the person responsible for operating the vehicle, such as a driver or pilot. In legal and insurance contexts, it may distinguish a person carried for their own journey from someone travelling for work or as part of a service.