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

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Etymology

Origin of gap year

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gap year

He took what he described as a gap year, living in student housing with friends from college.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

You can also take a gap year, as Fatima Qureshi, 19, from London did - because she wasn't sure which course she wanted to do or which career path she'd enjoy.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 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

“But we’re supposed to go to high school together, then do our gap year in Paris before we go to New York for college, remember?”

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

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