percurso

Percurso is a Portuguese noun that designates the path or route followed from a starting point to a destination. It can refer to a literal journey, the distance to be covered, or the sequence of steps that defines a route in space or time. The term is used in Portugal and Brazil and across Lusophone contexts. Related terms include trajeto, rota, caminho, and itinerário, depending on nuance and region.

In practical use, percurso covers diverse domains. In transportation and geography, it denotes a planned or actual route for roads, railways, or walking and hiking trails, often measured by distance or time. In tourism, um percurso turístico describes a curated route highlighting points of interest. In sports and competitive events, o percurso or o percurso de uma prova refers to the course that participants must follow. In education and career planning, percursos formativos and percursos profissionais describe the sequence of studies or steps that lead to qualifications or employment, emphasizing a developmental pathway rather than a single segment.

Etymology traces percurso to Latin roots combining through- and currere, signifying movement through or along a path. The term commonly appears in official planning documents, travel guides, and everyday language to articulate movement, direction, and progression. Plural form is percursos.

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