Definition

1. Noun:

   • A trip or journey taken for pleasure: A "junket" is a trip, often a short one, made for enjoyment or recreation.
   • A trip taken by an official at public expense: In a more critical sense, a "junket" can refer to a trip made by a government official or corporate executive, paid for by public or company funds, often perceived as a pleasure trip disguised as business.
   • A type of dessert: A sweet, custard-like dessert made from sweetened milk that has been thickened or curdled, often with rennet.

2. Verb:

   • To go on a pleasure trip: To travel for enjoyment, especially on a short excursion.
   • To feast or banquet: To partake in or provide a lavish meal or party.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Pleasure Trip):

  • The company organized a weekend junket to the coast for its top employees.
  • Their trip to the wine country was more of a fun junket than a serious business tour.

• Noun (Official Trip):

  • The senator was criticized for taking a taxpayer-funded junket to a tropical resort.
  • The newspaper exposed the corporate junkets disguised as "fact-finding missions."

• Noun (Dessert):

  • For dessert, they served a light lemon junket with fresh berries.

• Verb (To go on a trip):

  • The executives junketed to the conference in Las Vegas.
  • After the meeting, they planned to junket around the Italian countryside.

• Verb (To feast):

  • The nobles junketed for three days to celebrate the king's coronation.

Advanced Usage

• The term "junket" often carries a negative connotation when referring to official or business trips, implying frivolity, waste, or a misuse of funds. The context is crucial for understanding the speaker's intent.

Variants and Related Words

• Junketeer (noun): A person who goes on a junket, especially one of the criticized official trips.
  • The veteran political junketeer knew all the best hotels.

Synonyms

• Noun (Trip): Excursion, outing, pleasure trip, spree, jaunt.
• Noun (Official Trip): Boondoggle (informal, critical), fact-finding trip (often euphemistic).
• Verb (To feast): Banquet, feast, revel, carouse.

Related Phrases

• To be on a junket: To be participating in such a trip.

  • Half the committee is on a junket in Europe this week.

• A junket for: A trip organized for a specific group.

  • The lobbyists hosted a junket for influential journalists.

Noun

1. a trip taken by an official at public expense
2. a journey taken for pleasure
   • many summer excursions to the shore
   • it was merely a pleasure trip
   • after cautious sashays into the field
3. dessert made of sweetened milk coagulated with rennet

Verb

1. partake in a feast or banquet
2. provide a feast or banquet for
3. go on a pleasure trip