1. An occupation that is often referred to as a "calling", because it is "a call to follow a way of life": The notion that a disembodied "voice" is calling people to their purpose on earth is the basis for the word vocation.
2. A call to, or fitness for, a certain career; especially, a religious position: Susan decided to become a nun and to serve in the church as her vocation because she felt deep down inside that God wanted her to serve Him, so she went to a convent to live and work.
3. The work or profession for which one has a sense of special fitness: Thomas was very good at writing essays in school in foreign languages and so he loved to travel and he thought that his vocation would be that of a foreign correspondent for television or for a news agency.
4. A strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation: Lisa loved playing piano and was quite successful playing in recitals as a student, and she and her teachers felt that she had the talent, competency and endurance to choose the vocation of being a professional pianist.
5. Etymology: borrowed from Middle French, or directly from Latin vocation-, vocatio-, "a call" or "a summons"; from Latin vocare, "to call", and is related to voc-, vox, "voice".

The original meaning of vocation in 1426 was "a call from God to follow a spiritual way of life", as in "the priestly vocation or "the vocation of a nun".

The sense of one's ordinary occupation, or profession, is first recorded in English in 1553; perhaps influenced by that meaning which existed in Middle French.

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