‘Welcome aboard’ is a popular phrase to welcome a new member, colleague, or teammate. The travel industry also frequently uses it to welcome passengers onto a train, plane, or boat.
If you want to learn more about when to use this idiom, this guide has usage examples, tips, and alternatives you will find useful. So, keep reading.
Welcome aboard is a term frequently used to welcome people to a new company, professional team, or project. However, the phrase originated from the travel industry, which is still frequently used to welcome passengers on a plane, train, or vessel.
‘Welcome’ can be a noun or verb, meaning a polite greeting or greeting someone kindly.
‘Welcome’ is commonly used to greet people in nearly any setting. Here are a few examples:
‘Aboard’ means to get in or on something traditionally. However, there is a modern definition that means to join something.
‘Aboard’ is rarely used solely in a business setting. It is more commonly used to describe something that happened on a boat or plane. For example:
‘Welcome aboard’ is an excellent way to greet a new employee or team member. It usually gives the impression that you are happy the person is there.
The more formal version is ‘welcome on board,’ however, either is acceptable in a formal email or informal communication. You can feel confident about using ‘welcome on board’ or welcome aboard’ in a professional setting.
If you work in happen hospitality, you can use ‘welcome aboard’ to greet passengers while working as many other people in the industry do. However, you would only want to say it if you operate or work on a plane, train, amusement ride, boat, or something that carries passengers.
Using ‘welcome aboard’ to greet guests at a hotel or restaurant would not be appropriate.
There is no difference between ‘welcome on board’ and ‘welcome aboard.’ Both are acceptable in most professional settings. The version you use is more of a personal preference. However, if you want to be extremely formal, ‘welcome on board’ would be a good choice.
As previously mentioned, ‘welcome aboard’ has several meanings. So, take a look at these examples.
The hospitality industry coined the phrase ‘welcome aboard.’ Here are a few examples;
Today, people often use ‘welcome aboard’ as a greeting in business settings. Here are a few examples:
There are alternative greetings you can use instead. If you think that ‘welcome aboard’ just doesn’t fit, try these:
Idioms like 'welcome aboard' can be confusing. You hear people say them and think you know what they mean, but you may be uncomfortable using them in conversation.
It is a good idea to check before using an unfamiliar phrase because you do not want to offend someone accidentally or make yourself look bad by using a term incorrectly. Writingtips.org can help.
Bookmark the page so you can easily check the meaning the next time you are unsure of the meaning of an idiom like 'welcome aboard,' 'onwards and upwards,' or 'bane of my existence.'
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