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.
Not far down Sunset Boulevard from Morihiro, Jonah Freedman’s restaurant Greekman’s is doing its small part to help bridge the affordability gap year-round. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026 New Jersey, Carolina, Minnesota, and yes, a gap year of reinvention in San Francisco. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026 Instead of a gap year, this season has provided more proof that the Celtics bring the right type of people into their organization. Jay King, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026 While social media feeds overflow with twenty-somethings documenting gap years and digital nomad lifestyles, a different demographic is quietly reshaping what adventure travel looks like. Taylor Haught, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gap year.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap%20year. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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