What does tourist mean?
A tourist is ordinarily a person who travels away from home to visit a place for pleasure or sightseeing, rather than for employment, study, or permanent residence. In everyday use, the word suggests a temporary visitor and can also imply someone whose travels are relatively brief or conventional. Tourists may be business visitors in broader travel or legal classifications, but “tourist” is most natural when sightseeing or holiday travel is the main purpose. As an adjective, tourist describes things associated with or appealing to visitors, as in tourist attraction or tourist town. The related verb tourist is uncommon and means to travel around as a visitor. Tourist can occasionally sound dismissive when contrasted with residents or local culture, so tourists and touristy carry different social overtones. Its history is transparent: English borrowed the word from French touriste, built on tour. It is therefore a clear example of how a familiar travel label joins an ordinary word for a journey to a suffix naming the person who makes it.
A person who travels away from home to visit a place for pleasure or sightseeing.
"The tour guide welcomed a group of tourists from Canada."
The term usually implies a temporary visit rather than permanent residence or employment in the destination.
Associated with, appealing to, or frequented by tourists.
"The museum is a major tourist attraction."
Common in compound nouns such as tourist attraction, tourist destination, tourist season, and tourist town.
To travel around as a tourist.
"They spent the summer touring across southern Europe."
This use is uncommon and generally informal.
The standard plural of tourist is tourists.
"The town attracts tourists from around the world."
Borrowed from French touriste, the word literally means a person who makes a tour.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tourist come from?
The word was borrowed into English in the early nineteenth century from French touriste, a derivative of tour with the agent-forming suffix -iste. French tour had long been used for a journey or circuit, while touriste designated a person who made such a tour. English then developed related forms such as tourism and touristy while continuing to use tour and touring from the same French stem.
Related word forms
How tourist is actually used
The noun is generally neutral, though it can sound dismissive when used to contrast visitors with residents or local inhabitants. The adjective is common in combinations such as tourist attraction and tourist season. The verb is uncommon and chiefly informal.
Easily confused with tourist
A tourist is a person who travels as a visitor, whereas tourism is the activity or industry of travel for leisure or sightseeing.