Arrival is the moment when someone or something reaches their destination. When your grandparents' plane touches down at the airport, that's their arrival. When a package shows up at your door, you're witnessing its arrival.

The word captures that specific point when a journey ends and presence begins. A teacher might take attendance and mark each student's arrival to class. A museum might record the arrival of a new painting. Weather forecasters track the arrival of storm systems. In each case, something that was coming gets there.

People also use arrival to mark when someone achieves recognition or importance. When a young athlete suddenly starts winning championships, sports writers might talk about “the arrival” of a new star, meaning that person has reached a level where everyone notices their talent.

The opposite of arrival is departure. Between these two moments lies the journey itself, whether it's crossing an ocean, walking down the hallway, or working toward a goal. Every arrival represents the completion of some distance traveled, some time passed, some effort made to get from one place to another.