Avocation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /avə(ʊ)ˈkeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. A leisure activity or hobby pursued in addition to one's primary occupation or employment
2. A type of activity engaged in for pleasure that exists alongside a main job or profession
3. An interest or hobby that provides enjoyment beyond a person's main work or career path

Etymology: Before it meant a pleasant side pursuit, "avocation" meant a distraction, and that older sense is still visible in its Latin ancestry. The word comes from Latin "avocatio," a noun built from the verb "avocare," "to call away" or "to call off." The verb itself combines "a-" (a variant of "ab-," meaning "away from") with "vocare," "to call," the same root that gives English "vocal" and "vocation." The shift is the surprise. A "vocation," from the same "to call" root, was a summons to a life's work, often a religious one, while an "avocation" was the call that pulled a person away from that work. Over time the sense softened from interruption to diversion, and then to the leisure activity a person pursues willingly in their spare hours. The word thus kept the idea of being summoned elsewhere, but the thing calling now is something the person actually chooses.

Synonyms: hobby, pastime, interest, sideline, occupation

Antonyms: vocation, profession, career, job