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Vacation vs Weekend - What's the difference?

vacation | weekend |

As nouns the difference between vacation and weekend

is that vacation is freedom from some business or activity while weekend is the break in the working week, usually two days including the traditional holy or sabbath day. Thus in western countries, Saturday and Sunday. Occasionally abbreviated to w/e.

As verbs the difference between vacation and weekend

is that vacation is to spend or take a vacation while weekend is to spend the weekend.

As an adjective weekend is

of, relating to or for the weekend.

vacation

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Freedom from some business or activity.
  • (obsolete) Free time given over to a specific purpose; occupation, activity.
  • *, II.28:
  • The first exploited his, sundrie waies, and excelleth in military exploits, and utilitie of his publike vacations .
  • A period during which official activity or business is formally suspended; an official holiday from university, law courts etc.
  • (North America) A holiday; a stretch of leisure time away from work or duty and devoted to rest or pleasure.
  • The act of vacating something; moving out.
  • The Conservative Party’s vacation of the centre ground gave an opportunity to its opponents.
  • (US, legal) The act of making legally void.
  • Synonyms

    * (UK) holiday (1,4), annulment (2), revocation (2)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To spend or take a vacation.
  • This year, we’re vacationing in Mexico.

    Synonyms

    * (UK) go on holiday * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    weekend

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The break in the working week, usually two days including the traditional holy or sabbath day. Thus in western countries, Saturday and Sunday. Occasionally abbreviated to w/e.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=1903 , author=Francis Markham , coauthors=Sir Clements Robert Markham , title=Recollections of a town boy at Westminster, 1849-1855 , page=34 , passage=... often took a few boys down there for what we North Country folk call the weekend — Saturday and Sunday; it was also used as a sanatorium if required.}}

    Usage notes

    Historically in North America and parts of Europe, people would often work on Saturday as well, or at least until noon on Saturday. Thus the "weekend" might begin at noon or later on Saturday in older texts. To describe the soonest upcoming weekend: * (UK, New Zealand) "at the weekend", "on the weekend", "this weekend", "for the weekend" ** {{quote-journal, **, , year=1886 , author=New Zealand Parliament , title=Parliamentary debates , volume=324 , page=2371 , passage=Let them work at their ordinary jobs during the week, and then take them out of circulation at the weekend , which is usually the time when the trouble is ... ** {{quote-news, indent2=**: , year=2009 , author=Great Britain House of Commons: Business and Enterprise Committee , title=Pre-appointment Hearing with the Chairman-elect of Ofcom, Dr. Colette Bowe , page=16 , passage=Whether it is on the BBC, ITV or commercial radio does not really matter. ...can give you a radio example of two things I was listening to at the weekend .}} * (US, Canada) "on the weekend", "this weekend", "for the weekend" ("at the weekend" is not used) }} ** {{quote-book, indent2=**: , year=2002 , author=United States Senate: Committee on Armed Services , title=Department of Defense authorization for appropriations for fiscal year 2002 , page=722 , passage=I am going to Moscow on the weekend to participate in the discussion, ...}}

    Alternative forms

    * week-end

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To spend the weekend.
  • We'll weekend at the beach.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Of, relating to or for the weekend.
  • I'm wearing my weekend shoes
  • Occurring at the weekend.
  • a weekend break