round-trip

I bought a round-trip ticket for my vacation.

Definition

1. Noun (singular: round-trip; plural: round-trips):

   • A journey to a place and back again to the starting point.
   • Example: The round-trip from New York to Boston takes about four hours by car.

2. Adjective (used before a noun):

   • Relating to or involving travel to a destination and back to the starting point, often used for tickets, flights, or fares.
   • Example: She bought a round-trip ticket to London.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The round-trip cost $200, including taxes. (The total cost for going and returning.)
  • We made a round-trip to the mountains in one day. (We traveled there and back in a single day.)

• Adjective:

  • Is this a round-trip flight or one-way? (Asking if the flight includes the return journey.)
  • They offer a discount on round-trip fares during the holiday season. (Reduced price for tickets covering both directions.)

Advanced Usage

• "round-trip time": In computing or telecommunications, the time it takes for a signal to travel from a source to a destination and back.

  • The round-trip time for the internet request was 50 milliseconds. (The delay measured for the signal to go and return.)

• "round-trip ticket": A ticket that covers both the outward and return journeys.

  • He booked a round-trip ticket to Tokyo for the conference. (A ticket valid for travel to Tokyo and back.)

Variants and Related Words

• Round-trip (adj/n): The only standard form. No common variants (e.g., "round-trip" is not used as a verb).
• One-way (adj): Opposite meaning—travel in only one direction without return.
  • She prefers one-way tickets when she moves to a new city. (Ticket for a single direction only.)

Synonyms

• Return journey (n): a trip that includes going and coming back.
  • The return journey was smoother than the outward trip. (The trip back to the starting point.)
• Round trip (n): synonym for round-trip; often written as two words in British English.
  • The round trip to the coast takes three hours. (Journey there and back.)

Related Idioms

• "make a round trip": to travel to a place and return.
  • We made a round trip to the supermarket in 20 minutes. (We went and came back quickly.)

Note on Usage

• In American English, "round-trip" is commonly used as an adjective (e.g., ), while in British English, "return" is more common for tickets (e.g., ). However, "round trip" (as a noun) is understood in both dialects.