as in pursuits
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avocations
Noun
-
And with a plethora of activities for both urban pursuits and outdoorsy expeditions, this tropical escape 1,000 miles off the southeast coast of Florida beckons no matter what your set of interests.—
Brittany Chang,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026 -
Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant — twice — all have been linked to Heat pursuits in recent years, none of the wooing reaching fruition.—
Greg Cote
January 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Be more human while AI handles production Use the time AI saves to develop fascinating hobbies and stories.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Despite the tumultuous astrology of the moment, this wouldn’t be the worst time to be far from home or your normal routine, or even just pouring more love into your creations and hobbies.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Japan is considered one of Asia’s top snow sports destinations due to its powder snow, which attracts a large number of foreign tourists each winter.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
2 Feb. 2026
-
That will mean that Charlotte's three pro sports teams playing at the highest level of competition -- the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC and Hornets -- will all have made the playoffs in a seven-month span.—
Scott Fowler The Charlotte Observer,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Avocations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avocations. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
