noun · 4 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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Received-Pronunciation:/vəʊˈkeɪʃən/
Canada, General-American:/voʊˈkeɪʃən/
California, Southern:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/vəʉˈkæɪʃən/
New-Zealand:/vɐʉˈkæɪʃən/
CMU ARPABET:V OW0 K EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A divine calling to establish one's lifestyle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ecclesiastical, countable, uncountable
Examples
The Catholic Church supports and teaches us that there are three vocations: the single life, married life, and the religious life or priesthood.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An occupation for which a person is suited, trained or qualified.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Nursing is a vocation that many people find horrendous.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the particular occupation for which you are trained
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: career, calling
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: occupation, business, job, line of work, line
Narrower terms: specialization, specialisation, specialty, speciality, specialism, lifework, walk of life, walk, business life, professional life
4
noun
Meaning 4
a body of people doing the same kind of work
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: occupational group
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: body
Narrower terms: profession, press corps
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekw-der. Proto-Indo-European *wokw-der. Latin vocō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin vocātiōnembor. Old French vocationbor. Middle English vocacioun English vocation From Middle English vocacioun, from Old French vocation, from Latin vocātiō.
Across languages
Translations
65 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
رِسَالَة
(risāla)
— calling
Arabic:
نداء
— calling
Arabic:
اختيار لغرض دينيّ
— calling
Arabic:
دعوَة
— calling
Armenian:
կոչում
(kočʻum)
— calling
Armenian:
հակում
(hakum)
— calling
Bulgarian:
призва́ние
(prizvánie)
— calling
Bulgarian:
влечение
(vlečenie)
— calling
Catalan:
vocació
— calling
Chinese Mandarin:
天職 /天职
(tiānzhí)
— calling
Danish:
kald
— calling
Dutch:
roeping
— calling
Esperanto:
alvokiĝo
— calling
Finnish:
elämäntehtävä
— calling
Finnish:
kutsumus
— calling
French:
vocation
— calling
Georgian:
პროფესია
(ṗropesia)
— calling
Georgian:
ხელობა
(xeloba)
— calling
Georgian:
მოწოდება
(moc̣odeba)
— calling
German:
Berufung
— calling
Greek:
κλίση
(klísi)
— calling
Icelandic:
köllun
— calling
Japanese:
天職
(tenshoku)
— calling
Norman:
vocâtion
— calling
Norwegian Nynorsk:
kall
— calling
Portuguese:
vocação
— calling
Romanian:
vocație
— calling
Romanian:
predispoziție
— calling
Romanian:
chemare
— calling
Russian:
призва́ние
(prizvánije)
— calling
Spanish:
vocación
— calling
Swedish:
kall
— calling
Welsh:
galwedigaeth
— calling
Arabic:
حِرْفَة
(ḥirfa)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Arabic:
مِهْنَة
(mihna)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Arabic:
مهنة
(mihna)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Armenian:
կոչում
(kočʻum)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Bulgarian:
занимание
(zanimanie)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Bulgarian:
професия
(profesija)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Catalan:
vocació
— occupation for which a person is suited
Chinese Mandarin:
職業 /职业
(zhíyè)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Czech:
povolání
— occupation for which a person is suited
Esperanto:
alvokiĝo
— occupation for which a person is suited
Finnish:
ammatti
— occupation for which a person is suited
French:
vocation
— occupation for which a person is suited
Georgian:
მოწოდება
(moc̣odeba)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Georgian:
ხელობა
(xeloba)
— occupation for which a person is suited
German:
Beruf
— occupation for which a person is suited
Greek:
επάγγελμα
(epángelma)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Hungarian:
hivatás
— occupation for which a person is suited
Indonesian:
vokasi
— occupation for which a person is suited
Italian:
vocazione
— occupation for which a person is suited
Japanese:
天職
(tenshoku)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Norman:
vocâtion
— occupation for which a person is suited
Norwegian:
yrke, erverv
— occupation for which a person is suited
Plautdietsch:
Beroop (nds)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Polish:
powołanie
— occupation for which a person is suited
Polish:
posłannictwo
— occupation for which a person is suited
Portuguese:
vocação
— occupation for which a person is suited
Romanian:
ocupație
— occupation for which a person is suited
Romanian:
vocație
— occupation for which a person is suited
Russian:
призва́ние
(prizvánije)
— occupation for which a person is suited
Scottish Gaelic:
dreuchd
— occupation for which a person is suited
Spanish:
profesión
— occupation for which a person is suited
Swedish:
kall
— occupation for which a person is suited
