Phrase guide

gap year

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A yearlong break from study taken by some students on leaving school before starting university, often spent gaining work experience or travelling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 間隔年 /间隔年 (jiàngénián) — yearlong break from study
  • Danish: sabbatår — yearlong break from study
  • Danish: fjumreår — yearlong break from study
  • Dutch: tussenjaar — yearlong break from study
  • Finnish: välivuosi — yearlong break from study
  • French: année sabbatique — yearlong break from study
  • French: année de césure — yearlong break from study
  • Italian: anno di pausa — yearlong break from study
  • Norman: annouoiliéthe — yearlong break from study
  • Polish: gap year — yearlong break from study
  • Portuguese: ano sabático — yearlong break from study
  • Russian: промежуточный год (promežutočnyj god) — yearlong break from study
  • Russian: свободный год (svobodnyj god) — yearlong break from study
  • Spanish: año sabático — yearlong break from study
  • Swedish: sabbatsår — yearlong break from study