gap year

American  

[gap yeer] / ˈgæp ˌyɪər /

noun

1. a period of time, usually an academic or calendar year, in which a student takes a break from school to travel, work, or volunteer, typically after ending high school and before starting college.

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gap year British  

noun

1. a year's break taken by a student between leaving school and starting further education

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Etymology

Origin of gap year

First recorded in 1975–80; gap ( def. ) + year ( def. )

Example Sentences

After leaving Google last year, he took what he described as "a mini gap year".

From BBC

He now has two months left in his gap year, and will start his new job on 18 May.

From BBC

On his LinkedIn page, the man widely expected to be the BBC's new Director General describes himself as a "gap year student, part time athlete".

From BBC

Matt Brittin has been enjoying what he described as a "mini gap year" since the end of 2024 when he left his role as President of Google in Europe, the Middle East and Africa after nearly 20 years at the big tech company.

From BBC

In his post about his gap year and his scuba diving plans, Brittin also wrote that he loves to "learn and try new things".

From BBC