Definition of avocation in English:

noun

• A hobby or minor occupation.

  ‘they are basically doctors, and negotiators by avocation’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The bile directed at us in the column shows a desire to hurt me personally and to make my employer suffer for my avocation.’
  • ‘Not bad for an incidental photographer who took up photography mostly as a necessity rather than an avocation!’
  • ‘Food and interior design have always been avocations of mine.’
  • ‘Enjoying politics as an avocation is different from caring about the actual political issues.’
  • ‘But, this youngster surely has an avocation that is seriously different - producing music with the vocal chords.’
  • ‘Obvious identification with the parent who died, e.g., wearing their clothes, becoming interested in their vocations and avocations was most frequent in this age group.’
  • ‘In 1931, Heath retired from engineering research and patent law to devote himself to his avocation of horticulture and to research into the foundations of the natural and social sciences.’
  • ‘Although birdwatchers may pursue their avocation for as long as they wish during the year, there comes a time when the activity gets stepped up.’
  • ‘That natural pastime became a lifelong avocation that has helped recognize and protect many notable trees in his borne county.’
  • ‘More than a few antiques dealers start out as indefatigable collectors who make the decision to turn their avocation into a vocation.’
  • ‘So I thought by being a lawyer that I could combine my vocation with my avocations and be part of the various worlds I love.’
  • ‘Some people have several vocations and avocations; some have worked in numerous industries; and some are interested in moving to a different profession.’
  • ‘And maybe you'll have some energy left over to indulge your avocation until it can become your vocation.’
  • ‘Even then, farming for them was a hobby, an avocation, a link to a way of life that was slipping away.’
  • ‘And the specter of student loans spurred graduates to take lucrative jobs rather than pursue avocations.’
  • ‘Even an avocation demands strenuous devotion and fortitude.’
  • ‘Now, you've studied particularly the writings, the love letters of people who actually write as an avocation.’
  • ‘The first concerns individuals engaged in occupations or avocations in which chasing the spotlight and thriving on the adulation of others are not only appropriate and adaptive but a sine qua non for success.’
  • ‘From e-mail to Weblogs, the online world opens up avenues to cozy up to experts, make a mark in your avocation or profession, and be viewed, in your own right, as someone who matters.’
  • ‘But the trouble with gardening, as the American poet Phyllis McGinley once pointed out, is that ‘it does not remain an avocation, it becomes an obsession’.’

  Synonyms

  activity, leisure activity, leisure pursuit, leisure interest, hobby, pastime, diversion, recreation, relaxation, divertissement, sideline, entertainment, amusement, sport, game

  View synonyms