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 Dramatically groaning and moaning about the heat in the summer is my avocation. Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2024 Wine, however, was an avocation that eventually became part of his portfolio. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 18 June 2024 And the Romans had other, less-objectionable avocations. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 Today, cooking has become a major generational avocation and source of pride. Alexandra Moe, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for avocation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avocation
Noun
  • Skiing has a reputation for being a pricey hobby, from the expensive gear to the ever-rising lift tickets and luxe mountainside hotels.
    Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Jack is not the only one who appeared to be starting a new hobby.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But Vanderbilt, as attention, pressure and fatigue rise on a pursuit no one outside its camp expected, is essentially two teams with two games left in the 2025 regular season.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The crash remains under active investigation by the FHP as officials work to reconstruct the events and review pursuit protocols.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The damage done by Dumont allowing Harrison to trade Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February is a level of self-infliction that few sports franchises in the modern era have ever executed.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Stream the basketball games in both men’s and women’s sports on top channels like ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, ESPN, SEC Network, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, FS1, and more.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But recreations of the 1963, 1964, and 1965 festivals were shown almost entirely from the perspective of Bob Dylan, and the film stretched historical truth well past its breaking point in quite a few scenes.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Disproportionately high property taxes are one telltale sign of a city trapped in a cycle of municipal debt, and so are weak public services—underfunded schools, underpaid teachers, aging recreation centers, sewer systems in need of an upgrade.
    Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Avocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avocation. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on avocation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!