First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
vocation
noun vo·ca·tion \vō-ˈkā-shən\
: a strong desire to spend your life doing a certain kind of work (such as religious work)
: the work that a person does or should be doing
Full Definition of VOCATION
1
a : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; especially : a divine call to the religious life b : an entry into the priesthood or a religious order
2
a : the work in which a person is employed : occupation b : the persons engaged in a particular occupation
3
: the special function of an individual or group
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Origin of VOCATION
Middle English vocacioun, from Anglo-French vocaciun, from Latin vocation-, vocatio summons, from vocare to call, from vox voice — more at voice
Related to VOCATION
- Synonyms
- calling, employment, game, lay, line, profession, trade, occupation, work
Rhymes with VOCATION
aeration, Alsatian, carnation, castration, causation, cessation, cetacean, citation, Claymation, cognation, collation, conflation, C ration, creation, cremation, crenation, Croatian, crustacean, dalmatian, damnation, deflation, delation, dictation, dilation, donation, earth station, elation, Eurasian, filtration, fixation, flirtation, flotation, formation, foundation, frustration, gas station, gestation, gradation, gustation, guttation, gyration, hydration, inflation, lactation, legation, libation, location, lunation, lustration, luxation, migration, mutation, narration, negation, notation, oblation, oration, outstation, ovation, palmation, palpation, plantation, potation, predation, privation, probation, pronation, proration, prostration, pulsation, punctation, pupation, purgation, relation, rogation, rotation, salvation, sedation, sensation, serration, space station, stagflation, stagnation, starvation, striation, substation, summation, tarnation, taxation, temptation, translation, truncation, vacation, vexation, vibration, way station, workstation
VOCATION Defined for Kids
vocation
noun vo·ca·tion \vō-ˈkā-shən\
Definition of VOCATION for Kids
1
: a strong desire for a certain career or course of action <It was her vocation to be an actress.>
2
: the work in which a person is regularly employed : occupation
Word Root of VOCATION
The Latin word vox, meaning “voice,” and the related word vocāre, meaning “to call”, give us the root voc or vok. Words from the Latin vox or vocāre have something to do with the voice or with calling. Anything vocal is produced by the voice. A vocation is the work that someone is called to do as a job. To evoke is to call forth. To invoke is to call on for aid or protection. To provoke is to call forth another's anger. The word voice also has vox as its root.
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