# tourist

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtʊəɹɪst/ · frequency rank #5,169

## Definitions
1. Someone who travels for pleasure rather than for business.
2. One who only has a superficial interest in something.
3. An unwelcome newcomer, or appropriator, especially one who is inflammatory or uninformed, usually to seek attention, moral approval and superiority over the established hobbyists.
4. A member of the visiting team in a match.
5. A guest user on a computer system.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *terh₁-der.
Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos)bor.
Latin tornus
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Latin tornō
Old French torner
Old French tourder.
English tour
Proto-Indo-European *-id-
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti
Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō
Ancient Greek -ίζω (-ízō)
Proto-Hellenic *-tās
Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs)
Ancient Greek -ιστής (-istḗs)der.
Latin -istader.
Old French -istebor.
Middle English -ist
English -ist
English tourist
From tour + -ist. Doublet of turista.

## Easily confused with
- **Tours** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tourist-vs-tours)
- **touristy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tourist-vs-touristy)
- **tourism** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tourism-vs-tourist)
- **touring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/touring-vs-tourist)

## Common misspellings (10)
`oturist`, `toruist`, `touirst`, `tourisst`, `touristt`, `tourits`, `tourrist`, `toursit`, `ttourist`, `tuorist`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tourist