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vacation

n. · v.
US //veɪˈkeɪʃən// UK //veɪkˈeɪʃən// va·ca·tion
  1. 1 time off work or school (n.)
    A2 Elementary American English

    a period when you do not have to go to work or school.

    a scheduled period during which regular work or educational duties are suspended.

    Example

    The students are looking forward to their summer vacation after the final exams.

    Example

    The company policy allows employees to accrue two weeks of paid vacation for every year of continuous service.

  2. 2 official break (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    a time when a court or university stops its normal business for a break.

    a formal recess or period during which the regular business of a university or a court of law is suspended.

    Example

    The high court is currently in vacation and will not hear new cases until next month.

    Example

    During the long summer vacation, the university campus is largely deserted except for a few postgraduate researchers.

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  1. 3 leaving a property (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    the act of moving out of a building or room.

    the act of leaving or surrendering occupancy of a physical space or position.

    Example

    The landlord requested the vacation of the apartment by the end of the month.

    Example

    The sudden vacation of the office building left the city center with a significant amount of unleased commercial real estate.

  2. 4 legal cancellation (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical American English Law

    the act of making a legal judgment or deal not valid anymore.

    the act of rendering a legal judgment, decree, or contract void or set aside.

    Example

    The lawyer filed for a vacation of the previous court order due to new evidence.

    Example

    The appellate court's vacation of the lower court's ruling sent shockwaves through the local legal community.

  3. 5 gaming ban (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Computing

    a permanent ban from a gaming service for cheating.

    an enforced and often permanent exclusion from a gaming platform resulting from a violation of terms.

    Example

    He got a vacation from the server after the moderators caught him using cheats.

    Example

    After the anti-cheat software detected unauthorized modifications, his account was handed a permanent vacation from the community forums.

  4. 6 to take a holiday (v.)
    B1 Intermediate American English

    to go somewhere for a holiday.

    to spend a period of time away from home for the purpose of recreation.

    Example

    They usually vacation in the mountains during the winter to go skiing.

    Example

    The family chose to vacation in a remote coastal village to escape the noise and stress of the metropolitan area.

    Usage

    intransitive verb

Origin

Inherited from Middle English vacation, vacacion, vacacioun, from Anglo-Norman vacacioun, from Old French vacacion, vacation, from Latin vacātiō. Equivalent to vacate + -ion.

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