travelling salesman: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumNeutral to formal
Quick answer
What does “travelling salesman” mean?
A person who travels to different locations to sell products or services.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who travels to different locations to sell products or services.
In mathematics and computer science, it refers to the 'travelling salesman problem', a classic optimization problem about finding the shortest route visiting all given points and returning to the start.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: British English uses 'travelling salesman' with double 'l', American English uses 'traveling salesman' with single 'l'. The term is less common in modern occupational contexts, often replaced by 'sales representative'.
Connotations
Similar in both variants, associated with mid-20th century commerce or the mathematical optimization challenge.
Frequency
Equally frequent in historical or technical discussions; in everyday speech, more neutral terms like 'salesperson' are preferred.
Grammar
How to Use “travelling salesman” in a Sentence
[company]'s travelling salesmantravelling salesman for [product]travelling salesman in [region]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “travelling salesman” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He travels across the UK selling insurance policies.
American English
- She travels state to state for her sales job.
adverb
British English
- He works while travelling extensively for sales.
American English
- He sells products while traveling frequently across regions.
adjective
British English
- He holds a travelling salesman position with a car manufacturer.
American English
- His traveling salesman duties require frequent trips.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to employees who travel to meet clients and sell goods, common in fields like pharmaceuticals or wholesale.
Academic
Central to the travelling salesman problem in operations research, mathematics, and computer science for studying optimization.
Everyday
Used to describe someone who travels frequently for work, especially in sales, though less common in modern usage.
Technical
Specifically denotes an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem in algorithm design and logistics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “travelling salesman”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “travelling salesman”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “travelling salesman”
- Misspelling as 'traveling salesman' in British English contexts.
- Using it anachronistically for modern sales roles without the travel aspect.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is somewhat dated for the occupation but remains current in mathematical and computational contexts.
It is pronounced similarly to British English, but with the spelling 'traveling salesman'.
Historically, industries like encyclopedias and brushes; today, it's seen in pharmaceuticals, industrial equipment, and wholesale.
Yes, though 'saleswoman' or gender-neutral terms like 'salesperson' are often used in modern contexts.
A person who travels to different locations to sell products or services.
Travelling salesman is usually neutral to formal in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on the road”
- “living out of a suitcase”
- “always on the go”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a salesman who is always travelling, hence 'travelling salesman'.
Conceptual Metaphor
MOVEMENT AS COMMERCE
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'travelling salesman'?