vacation

English

Etymology

From Middle English vacation, vacacion, vacacioun, from Anglo-Norman vacacioun, from Old French vacacion, vacation, from Latin vacātiō. Equivalent to vacate +‎ -ion.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /vəˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/, /veɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/
• (General American) enPR: vā-kā'shən, IPA^(key): /veɪˈkeɪʃən/, /vəˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən, -eɪʃn
• Hyphenation: va‧ca‧tion

Noun

vacation (countable and uncountable, plural vacations)

1. Freedom from some business or activity.
2. (obsolete) Free time given over to a specific purpose; occupation, activity.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 28, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book II, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:

     The first exploited his, sundrie waies, and excelleth in military exploits, and utilitie of his publike vacations.

3. A period during which official activity or business is formally suspended; an official holiday from university, law courts etc.
4. (Canada, US) A holiday; a stretch of leisure time away from work or duty and devoted to rest or pleasure.
5. An extended period of time away from work or school.

   Spring vacation offers a good opportunity to travel.

6. The act of vacating something; moving out.

   The Conservative Party’s vacation of the centre ground gave an opportunity to its opponents.

7. (US, law) The act of making legally void.

Synonyms

• (freedom from some activity): holiday (Commonwealth)
• (free time given over to a specific purpose): annulment, revocation
• (a stretch of leisure time away from work): holiday (Commonwealth); see also Thesaurus:vacation
• (act of vacating something): departure, moveout

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

vacation (third-person singular simple present vacations, present participle vacationing, simple past and past participle vacationed)

1. (intransitive) To spend or take a vacation.

   This year, we’re vacationing in Mexico.

Synonyms

• (UK) go on holiday
• go on vacation
• holiday

Translations

Related terms

• vacate

Anagrams

• Octavian

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va.ka.sjɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

vacation f (plural vacations)

1. (law) session

Further reading

• “vacation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.