vocation

[ voh-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. a particular occupation, business, or profession; calling.

   Synonyms: pursuit, employment

2. a strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity or career.
3. a divine call to God's service or to the Christian life.
4. a function or station in life to which one is called by God:

   the religious vocation; the vocation of marriage.

vocation

/ vəʊˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a specified occupation, profession, or trade
2. 1. a special urge, inclination, or predisposition to a particular calling or career, esp a religious one
   2. such a calling or career

Word History and Origins

Origin of vocation¹

1400–50; late Middle English vocacio ( u ) n < Latin vocātiōn- (stem of vocātiō ) a call, summons, equivalent to vocāt ( us ) past participle of vocāre to call ( -ate ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of vocation¹

C15: from Latin vocātiō a calling, from vocāre to call

Example Sentences

Over the course of three deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, during which she flew 89 combat missions and then served as “a ground-based problem solver,” McGrath had to reckon with the violent nature of her vocation.

From Washington Post

For the few women who were in athletics, sports were seen as more a hobby than a vocation.

From FiveThirtyEight

The Jameses say that of all the vocations they’ve studied, professional athletes are among the most enthusiastic about sleep and even napping.

From Freakonomics

Though he eventually lost the girl, he gained a vocation, and, in 2009, at the age of 20, he joined American Medical Response.

From ProPublica

Unfortunately the church has routinely forgotten its vocation.

From Time

“The golden age of Parisian smiles nurtured, and was nurtured by, the rise of dentistry as a vocation,” writes Jones.

From The Daily Beast

It was only once he directed and starred in his own short film that he decided to pursue acting as a vocation.

From The Daily Beast

He was highly esteemed in the fashion world, but his real vocation was fulfilled in the evening hours.

From The Daily Beast

History has no shortage of vocation-induced tragi-ironic deaths.

From The Daily Beast

In short, this Austin native needs to make some hard decisions about his vocation.

From The Daily Beast

And everything else is certainly in keeping with our dwelling and our vocation in life, that is, poverty.

From Project Gutenberg

We engaged an experienced hack-driver, who combined with his vocation the qualities of a well informed guide as well.

From Project Gutenberg

Has it never occurred to you, my dear Miss Warrender, that it might be your vocation, your natural aim in life.

From Project Gutenberg

A divinity presided over bakers, another over ovens,--every vocation and every household transaction had its presiding deities.

From Project Gutenberg

Another and more serious question for the clergyman is that of the vocation in life of those who are weak mentally.

From Project Gutenberg