avocation
/avocation/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An auxiliary activity: An activity that one engages in outside of one's main occupation, typically for enjoyment or personal interest; a hobby or secondary pursuit.
- A minor or occasional occupation: Something done in addition to a primary job or duty.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- His avocation is woodworking, which he does on weekends away from his office job.
- She is a lawyer by profession, but her true avocation is painting landscapes.
Advanced Usage
- Distinction from "vocation": While a "vocation" is one's primary calling or profession, an "avocation" is a secondary pursuit, often followed for pleasure.
- For many, their avocation provides a creative outlet that their vocation does not.
- Formal/Literary Use: Can imply a strong personal inclination or diversion from one's main work.
- He pursued poetry as an avocation, finding solace in it after long days of scientific research.
Variants and Related Words
- Avocational (adj): Relating to or being an avocation.
- She took several avocational courses in photography.
Synonyms
- Hobby: An activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.
- Pastime: Something that serves to make time pass agreeably; a diversion.
- Side interest: A secondary area of activity or concern.
Antonyms
- Vocation: A person's main occupation, trade, or profession.
- Career: An occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life.
- Profession: A paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and formal qualifications.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- "Pursue as an avocation": To engage in an activity as a hobby or secondary interest.
- He studied astronomy, pursuing it as an avocation for decades.
- "Turn an avocation into a vocation": To transform a hobby into one's main profession.
- After her blog became popular, she successfully turned her avocation into a vocation.
Noun
- an auxiliary activity