Occupation vs. Vacation — What's the Difference?

A job or profession

A vacation (American English), or holiday (British English), is a leave of absence from a regular job, or a specific trip or journey, usually for the purpose of recreation or tourism. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances, or for specific festivals or celebrations.

The action, state, or period of occupying or being occupied by military force

A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation, especially one with pay granted to an employee.

The action of living in or using a building or other place

A holiday.

For the sole use of the occupiers of the land concerned

A fixed period of holidays, especially one during which a school, court, or business suspends activities.

An activity that serves as one's regular source of livelihood; a vocation.

The act or an instance of vacating.

An activity engaged in especially as a means of passing time; an avocation.

To take or spend a vacation.

The act or process of holding or possessing a place.

Freedom from some business or activity.

The state of being held or possessed.

(obsolete) Free time given over to a specific purpose; occupation, activity.

Invasion, conquest, and control of a nation or territory by foreign armed forces.

A period during which official activity or business is formally suspended; an official holiday from university, law courts etc.

The military government exercising control over an occupied nation or territory.

(North America) A holiday; a stretch of leisure time away from work or duty and devoted to rest or pleasure.

An activity or task with which one occupies oneself; usually specifically the productive activity, service, trade, or craft for which one is regularly paid; a job.

An extended period of time away from work or school.

The act, process or state of possessing a place.

The act of vacating something; moving out.

The control of a country or region by a hostile military and/or paramilitary force.

The act of making legally void.

The act or process of occupying or taking possession; actual possession and control; the state of being occupied; a holding or keeping; tenure; use; as, the occupation of lands by a tenant.

(intransitive) To spend or take a vacation.

That which occupies or engages the time and attention.

The act of vacating; a making void or of no force; as, the vacation of an office or a charter.

The principal business of one's life; the principal work by which one earns one's livelihood; vocation; employment; profession; calling; trade; avocation; as, these days many people continue to practice their occupation well into their seventies.

Intermission of a stated employment, procedure, or office; a period of intermission; rest; leisure.

The principal activity in your life that you do to earn money;

Intermission of judicial proceedings; the space of time between the end of one term and the beginning of the next; nonterm; recess.

The control of a country by military forces of a foreign power

A period of intermission of regular paid work or employment, or of studies and exercises at an educational institution; the time during which a person temporarily ceases regular duties of any kind and performs other activites, usually some form of liesure; holidays; recess (at a school); as, the spring vacation; to spend one's vacation travelling; to paint the house while on vacation. Vacation is typically used for rest, travel, or recreation, but may be used for any purpose. In Britain this sense of vacation is usually referred to as holiday.

Any activity that occupies a person's attention;

The time when an office is vacant;

The act of occupying or taking possession of a building;

Leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure;

The period of time during which a place or position or nation is occupied;

The act of making something legally void

Spend or take a vacation