: 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
Did you know?
When vocation was first used in English in the 15th century it referred specifically to a summons from God to perform a particular task or function in life, especially a religious one. This meaning is no surprise given the word's source: it comes from Latin vocation-, vocacio, meaning "summons," which in turn comes from vocāre, meaning "to call." Vocation also has a secular position in the English language as a word for the strong desire to do a certain kind of work, or as a word for the work itself, making vocation a synonym of the words calling and occupation.
This isn't just a job for me; it's a vocation. people who follow a religious vocation He never felt a real sense of vocation. I'm a carpenter by vocation, but my hobby is painting.
Recent Examples on the WebMore accurately, his vocation is misleading, deceiving, and outright lying to people. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 5 Aug. 2022 Auer was an invaluable guide in the process of discerning whether the priesthood was his vocation. Cassidy Jensen, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2022 Anderson didn’t know then that track was going to be her vocation. Mike Hutton, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2022 The novella ends with Fogle being accepted into a vocation that, based on his comments in the present, has fulfilled all his expectations for it. Jon Baskin, The New Yorker, 27 July 2022 Last but not least, the best executive coaches have coaching as their primary vocation. Xavier Preterit, Forbes, 11 July 2022 Turning to her friends for advice regarding her new vocation, Radziwill listened as Rudolf Nureyev advised her to work in repertory theater and Beaton told her more training was the key. Mark Peikert, Town & Country, 28 Jan. 2022 Our vocation is to bring out those elements that make the character empathic and understandable even outside our borders. Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 5 Aug. 2022 The pair go into the details of what being a professor is supposed to entail, and Katz describes how the profession has devolved from a vocation and to a job. Nr Staff, National Review, 8 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English vocacioun, from Anglo-French vocaciun, from Latin vocation-, vocatio summons, from vocare to call, from vox voice — more at voice