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:
Going on vacation temporarily gets you away from your regular life.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
But French teachers, many of whom say they are passionate about their job, do enjoy long vacation periods.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
She also had a close friend who traveled with her overseas for a vacation during the worst of the breakouts, and mentioned in passing that she’d never even noticed Montalbo’s acne.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Paxton also traveled with the detail twice to Broken Bow, Oklahoma, where he purchased a $1.5 million vacation lodge in 2022.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Though people lived there all year long, White Sulphur Springs was a vacation town.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
You are a couple of low-key individuals who don’t feel the need to buy flashy cars or post on Instagram about expensive vacations to justify your place in the world.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Some subsequent presidents enjoyed the retreat as well, but it was soon out of fashion as they began to travel further afield for their vacations.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
FlyDubai’s budget flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv attract a consistent crowd of Jewish and Arab Israelis coming home from vacations, international workers coming in for stints, and a handful of business travelers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
On Wednesday, Justice announced charges against four people in the L.A. area with misappropriating homeless funds for personal expenses, including PlayStation charges, luxury vacations, vintage car restorations, real estate and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Maybe I was too distracted by the nonstop vacations and fancy gifts to notice the emptiness in her eyes.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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
The first time Robbins vacationed in Europe was in 2007, when he was 49.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Court filings show she was given a $1,000 monthly allowance from Abatti and the pair vacationed around the world — in places such as Italy, Switzerland and Hawaii — with their children, family and friends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
And it turned out this was a thing; some therapists even vacationed in July to fill the end of summer void.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
The upper crust vacationed in Europe and worshiped an Episcopal God.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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
At the time, the Tana family was vacationing on a remote Yugoslav island when a telegram arrived: “The restaurant burned down. Call me, Pearl,” recalls Katerina Tana, one of Dan Tana’s daughters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Balancing vacationing now with planning for dream trips in the future is important, she said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026
But the gentleman, a vacationing Hamburg lawyer, “already had a friend”—a young native Acapulcan who called himself the Cowboy.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
