vacation

American  

[vey-key-shuhn, vuh-] / veɪˈkeɪ ʃən, və- /

noun

1. 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.

2. a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of law courts, legislatures, etc., are suspended.

3. freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.

4. an act or instance of vacating.

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verb (used without object)

1. to take or have a vacation.

   to vacation in the Caribbean.

vacation British  

/ vəˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a period of the year when the law courts or universities are closed

2. 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

3. the act of departing from or abandoning property, etc

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verb

1. (intr) to take a vacation; holiday

Other Word Forms

• minivacation noun
• prevacation noun
• vacationer noun
• vacationist noun
• vacationless adjective

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

Example Sentences

He got an extra 3% out of Sarnoff in part by blithely insisting that he would still leave for a long-planned vacation, incommunicado, before the deal was cinched.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is so much secrecy around money in our everyday lives — and vacations are not immune to that norm.

From MarketWatch

“Today’s announcements mark an exciting step forward in expanding our vacation portfolio across ocean and river,” said CEO Jason Liberty.

From MarketWatch

Members also get up to seven weeks of vacation, which is unheard of in private industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

This made the prospect of vacationing in Thailand three decades later with my husband and two of my teenage kids a fraught proposition.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• break
• holiday
• layoff
• recess
• respite
• rest
• sabbatical
• time off