vacation
Americannoun
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vacations
plural
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a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday.
Schoolchildren are on vacation now.
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a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of law courts, legislatures, etc., are suspended.
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freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.
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an act or instance of vacating.
verb (used without object)
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vacations,
present (3rd person singular)
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vacationed,
past participle, past
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vacationing
present participle
noun
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a period of the year when the law courts or universities are closed
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a period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreation Also called (in Britain and certain other countries) holiday
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the act of departing from or abandoning property, etc
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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vacationsimple
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vacationssimple
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have vacationedperfect
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has vacationedperfect
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am vacationingprogressive
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are vacationingprogressive
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is vacationingprogressive
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have been vacationingperfect progressive
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has been vacationingperfect progressive
Past
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vacationedsimple
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had vacationedperfect
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was vacationingprogressive
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were vacationingprogressive
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had been vacationingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of vacation
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin vacātiōn-, stem of vacātiō “freedom from something”; equivalent to vacate + -ion; replacing Middle English vacacioun, from Anglo-French
Explanation
A vacation is a time specifically set aside for enjoyment or relaxation, like a dream vacation to Hawaii. Vacation began as an Old French word, meaning "freedom or release" from an activity or occupation — like summer vacation. There's no school. During summer vacation, you'll do lots of things — but you won't be in school. You might even go somewhere for a vacation. Another meaning of vacation is "voiding something legal," like the vacation of the old law about not tying your horse in front of City Hall.
Vocabulary lists containing vacation
Travel
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vac
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Blasted to Smithereens: Synonyms for "Break"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
We have no debt and own our primary home and a vacation home, as well as my mother’s home in another state.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
A suggestion for schools: As summer vacation comes to a close, students will likely transition to spending most of their time indoors, looking at screens.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
In Shinjuku, the number of complaints over vacation rentals increased by around 40 percent in the fiscal year to March, the official said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
The news analyst at a data analytics firm likes her job, where she feels challenged and supported, works from home and has the vacation days to feed her love of travel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
It was March 27, the first day of Easter vacation.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Family vacations have become limited to weekend getaways, because judges can schedule hearings at any time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
“We sacrificed vacations, but in the end, we have a home that’s ours.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Ordinary Canadians have even boycotted U.S. products and avoided taking vacations here in solidarity.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Thousands of travelers are taking the plunge on surprise vacations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Jonathan did some knee bends and thought about how vacations used to be.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Wearing a life vest that showcased his toned arms, Macron cut a sporty figure as he vacationed at the Bregancon Fort, the presidential retreat, during France's August summer break.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
When they occasionally vacationed at a cabin, with showers and toilets, it was a real treat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Two years later, John C. Doerfer, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, likewise bowed out when it was revealed he had vacationed on the yacht of a wealthy friend.
From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2026
That hunch was confirmed after they vacationed in Mexico that summer and she wore his jersey to a 49ers game in October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2025
Before the Civil War, five sitting presidents vacationed there, as did judges, lawyers, diplomats, slaveholders, and merchants—mostly from Southern states.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
The former TAP Air Portugal pilot first came to the area in 2001 after years of vacationing in the more developed Algarve in southern Portugal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The photo shows a vacationing couple seated in striped deck chairs beneath a brightly coloured parasol on a beach.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Balancing vacationing now with planning for dream trips in the future is important, she said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026
As I ambled past groups doing yoga and vacationing families lounging on the grass, pain started to radiate through my ankles and up my shinbones before settling uncomfortably in my hips.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
The apartment is blasting with a heat I’ve never known, the closest thing being when I was in Cuba vacationing with my family on Varadero Beach.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
