vacation

From Middle French vacation, from Latin vacātio.

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

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

vacation (countable and uncountable, plural vacations)

1. Freedom from some business or activity. [from 14th c.]
2. (obsolete) Free time given over to a specific purpose; occupation, activity. [15th-17th c.]
   • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, chapter 28, in The Essayes, […], book II, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:

     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. [from 15th c.]
4. (Canada, US) A holiday; a stretch of leisure time away from work or duty and devoted to rest or pleasure. [from 19th c.]
5. The act of vacating something; moving out. [from 19th c.]

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

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

• (Britain) holiday (1,4), annulment (2), revocation (2)

• staycation
• vaca, vacay

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.

• (Britain) go on holiday
• go on vacation
• holiday

• vacate

• Octavian

• IPA^(key): /vakasjɔ̃/

vacation f (plural vacations)

1. (law) session

• “vacation” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).