itinerant

Itinerant is an English term used as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it describes someone or something that moves from place to place rather than remaining in a fixed location. As a noun, it refers to a person who travels from town to town to work, sell goods, perform, or provide services. The word derives from Latin itinerans, from iter, journey, and entered English through Old French itinerant.

Historically, itinerant people have been common in many societies. Itinerant traders and peddlers operated along networks of markets and fairs. Itinerant musicians and actors traveled to entertain audiences in villages and towns, often under patronage of local lords or guilds. Itinerant preachers or mendicant orders moved widely to teach and collect alms.

In modern contexts, itinerant worker or itinerant staff describes laborers who move seasonally or contractually, such as agricultural harvest workers, construction crews, or domestic workers who relocate with assignments. The term can also describe teaching assignments that are short-term or peripatetic, such as itinerant teachers who travel among schools.

The word can imply a lack of fixed residence, which can carry social or legal implications regarding housing, benefits, or labor rights. Itinerant arrangements may be supported by unions, temp agencies, or housing subsidies in some regions.

Related terms include nomad, migrant worker, and traveling salesperson.