vacation 1 of 2 noun

va·ca·tion vā-ˈkā-shən  və-

often attributive
Synonyms of vacation

1 : a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation

had a restful vacation at the beach

2 a : a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended

b : a period of exemption from work granted to an employee

3 : a respite or a time of respite from something : INTERMISSION

4 : an act or an instance of vacating

vacation 2 of 2 verb
vacationed; vacationing vā-ˈkā-sh(ə-)niŋ  və-

intransitive verb

: to take or spend a vacation

vacationed at the shore

vacationer vā-ˈkā-sh(ə-)nər  və- noun

Synonyms

Noun
break holiday [chiefly British]
hols [British] leave
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 recess

Verb
holiday

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Example Sentences

Noun

Family vacations were a high point in my childhood.

When are you taking vacation this year?

Employees are entitled to 120 hours of paid vacation.

See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun
From quarantine haircuts to beach vacations with friends, these are some of the
cutest snapshots of the photogenic couple. 01 All Wrapped Up For Valentine's Day
2023, Dobrev shared a sweet tribute to White on Instagram that included a
carousel of cozied up snapshots.
Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 3 Sep. 2023

The new travel pics come days after Shayk shared sultry images from her joint
family vacation with ex-partner Bradley Cooper.
Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 3 Sep. 2023

See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current
usage of the word 'vacation ' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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 usage of the word 'vacation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun
Middle English vacacioun, borrowed from Anglo-French vacacion, borrowed from
Latin vacātiōn-, vacātiō "exemption from service, respite from work," from vacāre
"to be empty, be free, have leisure" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more
at VACANT

First Known Use

Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb
1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of vacation was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing vacation

Dictionary Entries Near vacation

vacate
vacation

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 Vacation Bible School

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Cite this Entry

Style MLA

“Vacation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.

merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacation. Accessed 8 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition

vacation 1 of 2 noun
va·ca·tion vā-ˈkā-shən  və-

1 : a period during which activity (as of a school) is stopped for a time

2 : a period spent away from home or business in travel or amusement

vacation 2 of 2 verb
vacationed; vacationing -sh(ə-)niŋ
: to take or spend a vacation

vacationer -sh(ə-)nər  noun

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 Legal Definition

vacation noun
va·ca·tion

1 : a period in which activity or work is suspended

specifically : an interval between judicial terms

2 : an act or instance of vacating

vacation of a judgment

More from Merriam-Webster on vacation

Nglish: Translation of vacation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of vacation for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vacation

Last Updated: 6 Sep 2023 - Updated example sentences

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