Staycation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /steɪˈkeɪʃn̩/

Definitions

1. A holiday period spent relaxing at home or nearby, prioritizing local attractions over distant travel experiences
2. Time off from work or routine where one chooses to remain in their local area and enjoy nearby amenities instead of traveling
3. A vacation taken by remaining at home or exploring nearby places without traveling far

Etymology: Holidaymakers who never leave town have a surprisingly tidy name. "Staycation" is a blend: the first half is "stay," meaning to remain at home, and the second is "vacation," the American word for a holiday. Blending two words into one, with the parts overlapping at a shared sound, is the same process that gave us "brunch" and "motel," and the new word packs both ideas into a single syllable-saving form. The noun came first, and the verb was later derived from it, so people began to "staycation" as a verb only after the noun was already familiar. The word's meaning is simply a holiday spent at home or close to it, with no travel required.

Synonyms: local vacation, home holiday