year out

Meanings

1. 1phrasecountableBritish

   A period of about a year when you stop studying or working, often to travel or gain experience.

   Grammar: Countable; usually used with 'a' or 'the': 'take a year out', 'during my year out'.

   Patterns

   • take a year out
   • a year out from something
   • during someone's year out

   After finishing school, he took a year out to travel around Asia.

   She spent her year out working at a charity in Kenya.

   Many students take a year out before starting university to save money.

2. 2phrasecountable

   A period of one year when someone is away from a regular job or duty.

   Grammar: Often used with 'take' or 'have': 'He had a year out from teaching.'

   Patterns

   • a year out from work
   • take a year out from something

   The professor took a year out from teaching to finish her book.

   He had a year out from the army after his injury.

Common combinations

take a year out

They decided to take a year out before looking for jobs.

a year out from university

She is on a year out from university to gain work experience.

during my year out

During my year out, I learned to speak Spanish.

a year out abroad

He spent a year out abroad, volunteering in South America.

Synonyms and how they differ

gap year

The usual American term for the same idea; it is also understood in Britain but sounds slightly more informal.

sabbatical

A break from work, usually for study or travel, and often paid; it is more formal and not limited to students.

break

A general word for any pause; it does not suggest a full year or a planned period away.

Commonly confused: year out or year off?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “year out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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