Thesaurus results for AVOCATION

avocation

noun

ˌa-və-ˈkā-shən

Definition of avocation

as in hobby

an activity outside of one's regular occupation that is engaged in primarily for pleasure photography is merely an avocation for me—I've never tried to make money off of it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of avocation Retired from her long vocation as a research chemist, Schafer, at 81, remains on the job with her avocations. — Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 May 2025 These avocations can take many shapes—traveling, golf, time with family, snowboarding, knitting, hunting, gardening, fishing, church choir, college football, crossword puzzles, theater, cycling, and walking. — Wes Moss, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 What began as an avocation turned into a serious occupation, as Fox Solomon turned to documenting the remnants of segregation visible in Chattanooga and across the South. — Christina Cacouris, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024 Dramatically groaning and moaning about the heat in the summer is my avocation. — Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for avocation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for avocation

Noun

During the pandemic, millions of Americans took up new hobbies to pass the time; some baked sourdough loaves, others took up the ukulele or guitar.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
It's become such a hobby that he's created his own social media account detailing his investing journey.

— Sean Conlon, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of hobby

Noun

The department maintains an early intervention system that flags officers based on risk factors, such as a relatively high volume of civilian complaints, frequent use of force, and involvement in preventable traffic collisions or pursuits.

— Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Vanity and the sometimes painful pursuit of beauty have never really been gendered ideas.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of pursuit

Noun

Separately, the Dream earlier this year struck an agreement with women’s sports investment firm Monarch Collective to operate their merchandise business.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Whereas collectability, value and investability of sports cards can rise and fall on the real-world performance of athletes, both trading-card genres share common factors.

— Bob Woods, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of sport

Noun

As participation in lacrosse continues to grow, local clubs, leagues and recreation programs face increasing demands to manage registration, scheduling, communication, team operations and video streaming.

— Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026
The salon is located in Rosie’s recreation area, where vocational programs like culinary lessons and cosmetology take place, as well as high school and college classes.

— Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of recreation

Browse Nearby Words

avidness

avocation

avocational

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Avocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avocation. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of avocation

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes