gap year

noun

: a one-year hiatus from academic studies to allow for nonacademic activities

Examples of gap year in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After high school, Moales took a gap year and got more serious about what was becoming her number one way of escaping the mundanity of life here on earth. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026 After graduation, Harry took a gap year to carry out humanitarian work in Africa (particularly with children in Lesotho), Australia, and Latin America. — Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026 The Indiana Pacers, after a gap year, will get a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. — Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Done consistently across a decade of gap years, these conversions can meaningfully shrink the pre-tax balance. — Dana Dunkelberger, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gap year

Word History

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gap year was in 1978

Rhymes for gap year

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Browse Nearby Words

gap-toothed
gap year
gar
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Cite this Entry

“Gap year.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap%20year. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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