vacation

[vey-key-shuhn, vuh-]

noun

1. a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday.

   Schoolchildren are on vacation now.

2. a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of law courts, legislatures, etc., are suspended.

3. freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.

4. an act or instance of vacating.

verb (used without object)

1. to take or have a vacation.

   to vacation in the Caribbean.

vacation

/ vəˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a period of the year when the law courts or universities are closed

2. a period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreation Also called (in Britain and certain other countries) holiday

3. the act of departing from or abandoning property, etc

verb

1. (intr) to take a vacation; holiday

Other Word Forms

• vacationer noun
• vacationist noun
• vacationless adjective
• minivacation noun
• prevacation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vacation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin vacātiōn-, stem of vacātiō “freedom from something”; equivalent to vacate + -ion; replacing Middle English vacacioun, from Anglo-French

Word History and Origins

Origin of vacation¹

C14: from Latin vacātiō freedom, from vacāre to be empty

Example Sentences

I have $400,000 in home equity in my main home and vacation home, with small mortgages on both.

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The coastal summer vacation has long been a staple of middle-class Americana, but what happens when the tourists go home?

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A couple months ago I ran up maybe $3,000 more than normal because we were on vacation.

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A First Brands manager described Patrick James as generous, and said he received holiday gift baskets that contained wine, expensive electronics and vouchers for vacations worth thousands of dollars.

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The premise is that you can “remember” a vacation you never took.

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Related Words

• break 
• holiday 
• layoff 
• recess 
• respite 
• rest 
• sabbatical 
• time off