vacation

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/vəˈkeɪʃən/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/veɪˈkeɪʃən, və-/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(vā kā′shən, və-)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
va•ca•tion /veɪˈkeɪʃən, və-/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. a period during which one does not have to report to one's regular work, school, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel: [countable]went on a long vacation.[uncountable]]They're on vacation.

v. [no object]
  1. to take or have a vacation:vacationed in Spain.
va•ca•tion•er, n. [countable]See -vac-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
va•ca•tion  (vā kā′shən, və-),USA pronunciation n. 
  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.

v.i. 
  1. to take or have a vacation:to vacation in the Caribbean.
  • Anglo-French
  • Latin vacātiōn- (stem of vacātiō freedom from something; see vacate, -ion); replacing Middle English vacacioun
  • 1350–1400
va•ca′tion•er, va•ca′tion•ist, n. 
va•ca′tion•less, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
vacation /vəˈkeɪʃən; veɪ-/ n
  1. chiefly Brit a period of the year when the law courts or universities are closed
  2. chiefly US Canadian a period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreationAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): holiday
  3. the act of departing from or abandoning property, etc
 vb
  1. (intransitive) US Canadian to take a vacation; holiday
Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin vacātiō freedom, from vacāre to be empty
'vacation' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
down - holiday - long vacation - recess - vac - vacationer - abort - add-on - already - antique - bach - ball - busman's holiday - camp - camper - cast - catchall - charter - concede - conceive - cottage - cottager - crimp - dandy - depressurize - distance - dream - dude ranch - exhaustion - family - fill-in - furlough - genitive - getaway - hand - havoc - honeymoon - idle - last - leave - lick - line - mesh - midnight - mop - new - off-season - parachute - pass - personal
Collocations: a [long, short] vacation, vacationing in [Maine], vacation [websites, agencies, destinations, rentals], more...

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