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

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

But Victoria believes what she learned during her gap year is benefitting her now she is studying at Oxford.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Imtiaz Shams, in his mid-thirties and CEO of a tech start-up, worked as a public sector finance assistant in his gap year, saving his £16,000 annual salary for university fees.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

“I’m going to take a gap year and go to Europe.”

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