Adventure

Pronunciation

• Canada IPA: /ædˈv̥ɛntʃɚ/
• RP IPA: /É™dˈvÉ›ntʃə/

From Middle English aventure, aunter, anter, from Old French aventure, from Late Latin adventurus, from Latin advenire, adventum ("to arrive"), which in the Romance languages took the sense of "to happen, befall" (see also advene).

Full definition of adventure

Noun

1. The encountering of risks; hazardous and striking enterprise; a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a daring feat.
• MacaulayHe loved excitement and adventure.
2. A remarkable occurrence; a striking event; a stirring incident; as, the adventures of one's life.
3. A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account.
4. (video games) A text adventure or an adventure game.
• 1984, Spyplane (review, in Crash, issue 4, May 1984) http://www.crashonline.org.uk/04/spyplne.htmThe first thing to strike me about Spyplane was that it is more like a verbal simulation than an adventure.
• 1988, Mike Gerrard, The Guild Of Thieves (review, in Your Sinclair, issue 29, May 1988) http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/theguildofthieves.htmTo sum up, I think this is definitely one of the best adventures around for the Spectrum now, along with Gnome Ranger...
• 1992, Larry Horsfield, The SU Guide to Playing and Writing Adventure Games (in Sinclair User magazine, issue 128, October 1992)Before you sit down in front of your Speccy to play an adventure, equip yourself with a pencil, eraser and plenty of paper. This so that you may draw a 'map' of the adventure as you move around.
5. (obsolete) That which happens without design; chance; hazard; hap; hence, chance of danger or loss.
• MiltonNay, a far less good to man it will be found, if she must, at all adventures, be fastened upon him individually.
6. (obsolete) Risk; danger; peril.
• BernersHe was in great adventure of his life.

Antonyms

• (remarkable occurrence) boredom

Related terms

• advent
• advene

From Middle English aventuren, auntren, which from Old French aventurer, from aventure.

Verb

1. (transitive) To risk or hazard; jeopard; venture.
• Bibles, Acts xix. 31He would not adventure himself into the theatre.
2. (transitive) To venture upon; to run the risk of; to dare.
• BunyanYet they adventured to go back.
• J. TaylorDiscriminations might be adventured.
3. (intransitive) To try the chance; to take the risk.

Derived terms

• adventurer
• adventuresome
• adventuress
• adventurous
• adventurously
• adventurousness