gap year

American  

[gap yeer] / ˈgæp ˌjɪər /

noun

• gap years
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gap years
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gap year

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gap year

But gap year students have told BBC Newsbeat they have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after paying to go abroad with the group.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

The urgency he feels to build his startup, which aims to bring open-source models offline and onto local devices, made him decide to take a gap year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Oorah runs a matchmaking program for Jewish youth and funds gap year trips to Israel for 17- and 18-year-olds.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

Before Reed Hastings revolutionized the global entertainment business, he sold Rainbow vacuum cleaners door-to-door during his gap year between high school and Bowdoin College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

Most of the white kids I knew were taking a gap year.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah