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After being declined by Grammarly, Microsoft Word and other grammar/spelling tools, I'm quite skeptical to use the adjective word 'vacational' i.e. related to 'vacations' — free/leisure time.

I have been using it for past many years and did not bother much about it. Why? Because I was (or am?) confident.

In fact, in Berkshire, UK there's a school (accredited by the British Council) titled:

Vacational Studies English Language Summer School

The school is very old and in the market for 42 years. In fact, it's an English Language learning school!

and they run a course:

Vacational Studies English Language Summer Course

We all know that the language of English adapts things very quickly. Do native speakers prefer this? Do they mind this word if written somewhere?

Edit after reading Catija's answer:

I gave one example that I found it easily. But I think considering 'vacational' in the sentences and not just in title as the answer says is also found.

Here are some of the examples:

Mid-day

So much so the Hollywood star recently mused, "I don't think you find them, I think they find you" about landing a keeper instead of a vacational lover.

9News Australia

Azel Prather Jr turned to a popular funding website GoFundMe to pay for the round trip flight after his girlfriend Marissa planned a holiday to the popular location during the vacational period.

Queensland Country Life

Because, as a good friend told them recently, when in search of a vacational playground, look no further than the Hamptons…the Rocky Hamptons.

Times Herald

Regal Financial and Development Corporation. This San Francisco-based company envisions a mix of projects, including a vacational college for healthcare industry jobs and a warehouse facility for food and wine export to China.

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  • You've been using it for years? Can you give us an example sentence, then?
    – user230
    Jul 23, 2015 at 6:39
  • Something like: rather than watching TV, let your kids get benefited in some creative activities in their free time. There are many vacational courses for crafts, drawings etc. out there" @snailboat
    – Maulik V
    Jul 23, 2015 at 6:45
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    It would be understood, and sounds natural, but the -al is not necessary; "vacation" is a perfectly good adjective. And, ate to brake this too you, but even people running shools sometime make usage airs. By the way, I believe your example about the "vacational college" was a typo or brainfart for "vocational". As for your example in comment above, I certainly wouldn't follow the usage example of someone who writes "let your kids get benefited..." (!)
    – Brian Hitchcock
    Aug 10, 2015 at 8:18
  • Your middle examples are both Australian. Maybe it's a regionally used word there? The mid-day example has a number of problems, so it makes a bad reference.
    – Karen
    Aug 10, 2015 at 17:45
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    A "vacational studies" program that meets during what is normally summer vacation is a very obvious play on words. You final example is an obvious typo. The other three examples suggest that at least a few writers are trying to make it an accepted word, but are not strong evidence that they have succeeded.
    – Karen
    Sep 22, 2020 at 23:03

2 Answers 2

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+50

The word vacational doesn't exist in any Dictionary. Nor do we find it in any Grammar book.

Like many other nouns used as adjectives, the noun "vacation" can be used as an adjective. For examples:

  1. Shimla is a beautiful vacation spot.

  2. My parents are trying to buy a vacation home in Darjeeling.

  3. I have got a vacation job.

  4. We don't have any vacation days left.

  5. Vacation season hasn't set in yet.

I think we can also say "Vacation Studies English Language School".

To sum up, when we usually use 'vacation' as an adjective, there's no point in using 'vacational' that doesn't exist or is rarely used.

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I would probably be able to figure out what you meant but I'd certainly inquire if you said it out loud to clarify what, exactly, you mean.

Making up words is very common in English, so we sort of get used to it... I've never heard this particular one before but it makes sense.

Don't think that finding a school with this word in any way legitimizes your use of it, though. This is the name of the school. It's not simply an adjective.

Names and titles regularly contain made up gibberish that sounds semi-English to set them apart from others.

  • Kleenex - (facial tissues) sounds like "clean"
  • Jell-O - (gelatin and pudding) sounds like "gel"
  • Arqade - (SE site about gaming) sounds like "arcade", center letters are "QA" as in Question and Answer.

We do this for many reasons, often because copyrighting/trademarking an actual word can be complicated. Making up a word for your brand is easier, legally.

It can also explain what it is your company does, or what the product is, as the examples above show.

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  • question edited. It's not just headline or title. You may rewrite this answer now.
    – Maulik V
    Jul 23, 2015 at 7:08
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    I'm not sure "You may rewrite this answer now" ever works as a comment on SE.
    – user230
    Jul 26, 2015 at 5:05
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    Well, one could say "you may remove this answer, since it no longer applies to my edited question", but that would be rude.
    – Brian Hitchcock
    Aug 10, 2015 at 8:09

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