Definitions
- Describing a person who travels from place to place for work or business. - Referring to a traveling performer or artist who moves from one location to another. - Talking about a person who has no fixed home and travels in search of work or shelter.
- Describing a person who travels frequently or walks from place to place. - Referring to a wandering philosopher or scholar who teaches while walking. - Talking about a person who moves from one job or place to another frequently.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe a person who travels frequently.
- 2Both words can refer to someone who moves from place to place.
- 3Both words can be used to describe a wandering lifestyle.
- 4Both words have Greek origins.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Itinerant is more commonly used to describe someone who travels for work or business, while peripatetic can refer to a wider range of activities.
- 2Connotation: Itinerant can have a negative connotation of instability or lack of a permanent home, while peripatetic is more neutral and can even have a positive connotation of intellectual curiosity or wanderlust.
- 3History: Peripatetic has a historical association with the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who taught while walking in the Lyceum in Athens, while itinerant does not have a similar historical association.
- 4Formality: Itinerant is more formal than peripatetic, which can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
Remember this!
Itinerant and peripatetic both describe a person who travels frequently, but they differ in their usage, connotation, etymology, history, and formality. Itinerant is more commonly used to describe someone who travels for work or business, while peripatetic can refer to a wider range of activities and has a more neutral or even positive connotation. Peripatetic has a historical association with the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, while itinerant does not have a similar association. Itinerant is more formal than peripatetic.
