vacation

1 of 2

noun

va·​ca·​tion vā-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce vacation (audio)
və-
often attributive
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 How to pronounce vacation (audio)
və-

intransitive verb

: to take or spend a vacation
vacationed at the shore
vacationer noun

Examples of vacation in a Sentence

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. I don't have any vacation days left. We have a one-week vacation in February. The university will be closed for Christmas vacation. Verb hoping to vacation in Spain this summer
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Lax grandparents want to take 5-year-old on vacation More: Sign up for Carolyn’s email newsletter to get her column delivered to your inbox each morning. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Your tween may need help setting this up, but easy-to-follow instructions are included, along with a storage bag for bringing to friends' houses or on vacation. Deanna McCormack, Parents, 19 Mar. 2024 Not just that, but the growing number of architecturally significant residences and developments are turning Las Vegas from a rowdy party vacation destination into a sophisticated design landscape for luxury buyers hoping to plant roots in, or around, Sin City. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024 Even going to a restaurant is a vacation, that’s the way my wife and I always saw it. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2024 Sara Maciel, a travel advisor for Carry on the Magic, specializes in booking Walt Disney World vacations. Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024 The change means drivers are entitled to a minimum wage, vacation time, and a pension. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 Some questioned the timeline: Why did Lisa go on a vacation when her husband was having surgery on a brain tumor? USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 On Thursday, the Days of Our Lives alum, 50, shared in an Instagram post that he had been hospitalized and diagnosed with altitude sickness after traveling to Colorado for his sons’ spring break vacation. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024
Verb
Feel free to roam: All-inclusive resorts make vacationing super convenient, but don't be afraid to venture off-property and experience Mexican culture outside of the gates. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024 The Laguna Beach alum revealed her relationship with boyfriend Mark Estes in February 2024 with an Instagram photo of the two of them vacationing in Los Cabos, Mexico. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 And did Willis financially benefit from it as the two vacationed in Belize, Napa Valley and elsewhere together? Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 The Blockade Runner Beach Resort is celebrating its 60th birthday with a nostalgic giveaway that will give 60 lucky winners a chance to vacation like its 1964 with $16 room rates. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 The pair often vacationed for months at a time in Italy, excursions that gave Capote time and space away from New York's social scene and helped produce some of Capote's greatest work, including In Cold Blood. Cady Lang, TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 In the fall of 2022, Brownstein’s mom and stepfather were killed in a car accident while vacationing in Italy. Maria Sherman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 LaPierre repeatedly vacationed with his family on a yacht, in the Bahamas, that belonged to an N.R.A. vender. Mike Spies, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024 His family has vacationed in Myrtle Beach for years. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024

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 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

Dictionary Entries Near vacation

Cite this Entry

“Vacation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacation. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vacation

1 of 2 noun
va·​ca·​tion vā-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce vacation (audio)
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 noun

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

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