Junket has traveled a long road, and its journey began with a basket made of rushes—that is, marsh plants commonly used in weaving and basketwork. The Latin word for "rush" is juncus, which English borrowed and adapted into various forms until settling on junket. That word was used in English to name not just the plant and the baskets made from the plant, but also a type of cream cheese made in rush baskets. Since at least the 15th century, the word has named a variety of comestibles, ranging from curds and cream to sweet confections. (Junket even today also names a dessert.) By the 16th century, junket had come to mean "banquet" or "feast" as well. Apparently, traveling must have been involved to reach some junkets because eventually the term broadened to apply to pleasure outings or trips, whether or not food was the focus. Today, the word usually refers either to a trip made by a government official and paid for by the public, or to a free trip by a member of the press to a place where something, such as a new movie, is being promoted.
Noun
The senator has been criticized for expensive junkets to foreign countries.
took a junket to the city for some sightseeing and shopping Verb
a lobbyist who regularly junkets politicians who are friendly toward the oil industry
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But the success, though gratifying, has been far from the most rewarding thing about the process, Keys told PEOPLE at the Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press junket last month.—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 17 June 2024 Letterboxd’s Journal and social teams have recently become a mainstay at all major movie premieres, junkets, awards shows and festivals, with interviewers asking A-listers to name their top four movies of all time, another popular feature on the site.—Kimberly Aguirre, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024
Verb
The studio is junketing the film for international press from June 18-19, which means that most of its interviews will be banked if the talks with SAG-AFTRA falter.—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 13 June 2023 Spielberg, who is by far the film’s biggest star, also limited his press presence almost exclusively to junket interviews.—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 13 Dec. 2021 See all Example Sentences for junket
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'junket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English ioncate, ultimately from Vulgar Latin *juncata, from Latin juncus rush
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