1. somebody's job: somebody's work, job, or profession, especially a type of work demanding special commitment
2. urge to follow specific career: a strong feeling of being destined or called to undertake a specific type of work, especially a sense of being chosen by God for religious work or a religious life
[15th century. < Latin vocation-< vocat-, past participle of vocare "call, name"]
Word History
The Latin word vocare "to call, name," from which vocation is derived, is also the source of the English words advocate, convoke, evoke, invoke, provoke, revoke, vocable, vocabulary, vocative, and vouch.