gap year

noun

: a one-year hiatus from academic studies to allow for nonacademic activities

Examples of gap year in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s a reason to be here – not just to have a gap year and relax. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 29 July 2025 In Folktales, the latest documentary from filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, One of Us), the pair ventured there to document its students, teenagers effectively taking a gap year, hundreds of miles away from the distractions of everyday life. Barry Levitt, Time, 25 July 2025 Before the gap year, Smith says managing the household often fell on her shoulders, despite holding down an executive role at the time. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 July 2025 Companies offer all kinds of unusual benefits these days, from wellness retreats to executive gap years. Brit Morse, Fortune, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for gap year

Word History

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gap year was in 1978

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Cite this Entry

“Gap year.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap%20year. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

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