vocation
gb/voʊkˈeɪʃən/ us/voʊkˈeɪʃən/
C1
Inglés
~ 9100
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
formal
C1
entity
1
main job seen as calling
A main job or career that a person feels is right for them and important in a special way.
Patrón de uso:
a vocation as [a profession]
Error frecuente:
Learners often confuse 'vocation' with 'vacation'. 'Vocation' is about work and purpose, while 'vacation' means holiday. Another mistake is to use 'vocation' for any job; it is usually used when the job feels especially right or meaningful, not for casual or temporary work.
Sinónimos
profession (Focuses on a skilled or certified job; does not carry the idea of inner calling as strongly as 'vocation'.)
|
career (Emphasizes long-term work life and progress, while 'vocation' suggests deeper personal suitability or purpose.)
|
occupation (General, neutral word for what someone does for a living, without the emotional or moral weight of 'vocation'.)
Antónimos
hobby (A regular activity done for pleasure, not as one’s main paid and purpose-filled work.)
Colocaciones
a true vocation
|a vocation as a [teacher/doctor/etc.]
|choose a vocation
|enter a vocation
|career and vocation
|vocational training
Temas
work
|education
|society
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Many people see teaching as a vocation rather than just a job.
- After several years in finance, she realized her true vocation was social work.
- He feels he has found his vocation as a nurse in the emergency department.
- Some argue that politics should be treated as a vocation, not a way to gain power.
- The course helps young adults explore which vocation might suit them best.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She believes her vocation is to be a doctor.
- For him, writing is not only a job; it is his vocation.
- I am still looking for my true vocation.
- He changed his vocation from lawyer to teacher.
- Many people say that nursing is a hard but beautiful vocation.
Sustantivo
formal
C1
entity
2
strong calling to a type of work
A strong feeling that a certain kind of work is the right and special work for you.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] has a vocation for [type of work]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes treat 'vocation' here as if it meant simple 'interest' or 'talent'. In this sense, it is stronger: it suggests a deep, often long‑lasting feeling of purpose, not just a hobby or short‑term preference.
Sinónimos
calling (Very close in meaning; slightly more emotional and spiritual, common in both religious and non-religious contexts.)
|
mission (Suggests a strong purpose or task, often with moral or social importance, not always tied to a job.)
Antónimos
indifference (Shows a lack of interest or feeling toward any particular kind of work, opposite of a strong sense of vocation.)
Colocaciones
have a vocation for [teaching/caregiving/etc.]
|feel a vocation to [serve/help/etc.]
|discover a vocation
|lose one’s vocation
|sense of vocation
Temas
emotions
|work
|values
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She has a clear vocation for working with children who have special needs.
- He felt a vocation to defend human rights from a very young age.
- Many artists describe their work not as a choice but as a vocation.
- After volunteering in a clinic abroad, she discovered a vocation for public health.
- Some people never experience a single strong vocation and instead follow several interests.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He feels he has a vocation for teaching poor children.
- From childhood, she had a vocation to help sick people.
- I do not feel a vocation for business or finance.
- The trip gave him a new vocation for working in the environment.
- Many students hope to find their vocation at university.
Sustantivo
formal
C1
entity
3
calling to religious life
A strong feeling that you should give your life to religious work, for example as a priest or nun.
Patrón de uso:
a vocation to [the priesthood/religious life]
Error frecuente:
Learners may think this religious sense is the only meaning of 'vocation'. In modern English, it still exists but is more specific; in many contexts, 'vocation' is broader and can be non‑religious.
Sinónimos
religious calling (Directly emphasizes that the sense of purpose is specifically religious.)
Antónimos
secular life (Refers to a non‑religious way of life, outside formal religious roles.)
Colocaciones
a vocation to the priesthood
|a religious vocation
|test one’s vocation
|discern a vocation
|lose one’s vocation
Temas
religion
|values
|work
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He entered the seminary after deciding he had a vocation to the priesthood.
- The retreat is designed to help young adults discern whether they have a religious vocation.
- She once thought she had a vocation as a nun but later chose a secular career.
- In some traditions, a vocation is confirmed by both inner conviction and recognition by the community.
- The church runs programs to support people exploring a late‑life vocation to religious service.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He believes he has a vocation to the priesthood.
- The young woman is thinking about a religious vocation.
- Some people feel a vocation to serve God as monks.
- The church helped him test his vocation to religious life.
- She first felt a religious vocation when she was a teenager.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
vocation
AFI
GB/voʊkˈeɪʃən/
US/voʊkˈeɪʃən/
Sílabas y acento
vo - ca - tion (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ca)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: vocation
- Plural: vocation, vocations
Familia de palabras
Forms
vocations
noun
Core family
vocational
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
non-vocational
adjective
Advanced or less common
vocationally
adverb
Expresiones
follow your vocation
1/fˈɑloʊ jˈʊɹ voʊkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
pursue work you feel called to
To choose and do the work that you strongly feel is right for you.
Ejemplos
- He left a well‑paid job in order to follow his vocation as a composer.
- Parents are encouraged to let children follow their vocation, not just chase money.
have a vocation for
1/hˈæv ə voʊkˈeɪʃən fɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
feel especially suited to work
To strongly feel that a certain type of work is right for you.
Ejemplos
- She clearly has a vocation for working with refugees.
- Not everyone has a vocation for leadership, and that is okay.
miss one’s vocation
1/mˈɪs wˈʌnz voʊkˈeɪʃən/
idiom
have chosen the wrong career
To not work in the kind of job that you would be very good at or made for.
Ejemplos
- You missed your vocation; you should have been a comedian.
- Watching her cook, I told her she’d completely missed her vocation as a chef.