# visitation

/ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən/ (US) · /vˌɪzɪtˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/visitation
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. legal right to see a child

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

the legal right of a parent who does not live with their child to visit them.

For teachers: the right of a non-custodial parent to visit their child, often as part of a court-ordered schedule.

- The judge granted the father weekend visitation rights after the divorce.
- The court established a strict visitation schedule to ensure the child maintained a consistent relationship with both parents during the transition.

Usage: Often used in the plural form 'visitation rights' or as a modifier in 'visitation schedule'.

### 2. official inspection

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

an official visit to a place to check that everything is being done correctly.

For teachers: a formal visit of inspection or examination by an authority, such as a bishop to a parish or a regulator to an institution.

- The hospital prepared for the annual visitation from the health board.
- During his episcopal visitation, the bishop reviewed the parish records and met with the local clergy to discuss community outreach.

### 4. divine punishment or blessing

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

a major event, like a disaster or a miracle, believed to be sent by God.

For teachers: a significant event, typically an affliction or a blessing, regarded as being ordained by God or fate.

- The village viewed the long drought as a divine visitation for their sins.
- In the seventeenth century, the plague was frequently interpreted as a terrible visitation upon a wicked city.

### 5. animal irruption

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a sudden arrival of a large number of animals or insects in a new area.

For teachers: an unusual and extensive movement of a species into a region where it is not normally found.

- The sudden visitation of snowy owls in the south surprised local birdwatchers.
- Ecologists are studying the causes behind the periodic visitation of these northern predators into temperate forest zones.

## Examples

- The judge set a schedule for parental visitation.
- The hospital has strict visitation hours to ensure that patients get enough rest between medical checkups.
- The sudden outbreak of the virus was viewed by the more superstitious members of the community as a divine visitation, a punishment for their perceived moral failings.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.