Passenger

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpæsɪnd͡ʒɚ/

Definitions

1. An individual that journeys within a mode of transportation while not in charge of its operation serves as an occupant during the travel
2. A person who travels inside a transport vehicle without controlling it
3. Someone who rides in a car, bus, plane, or other conveyance without driving or steering

Etymology: The word arrived in English from Old French "passagier", a traveler or one who passes through, built on "passage". The mark of its history is an extra "n" that slipped in along the way. Its near-twin "messenger" went through the same change, picking up an "n" that was never in the Latin or French original. Nothing in the older form called for it, so the sound simply crept into the spelling and pronunciation. Over time the sense narrowed from anyone making a journey to the person carried in a vehicle, while the driver became the one who steers it. The word thus names the rider rather than the one in charge, a contrast that is central to its modern meaning.

Synonyms: traveler, rider, commuter

Antonyms: driver, operator