An avocation is what calls one away from other work; a vocation or calling, that to which one is called by some special fitness or sense of duty; thus, we speak of the gospel ministry as a vocation or calling, rather than a business.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

pursuit The pursuit of money can sometimes lead to stress.
hobby Contributing to Tatoeba is not an expensive hobby.
pastime Horseback riding is a popular pastime around here.
occupation Morocco's occupation of Western Sahara is illegal.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
avocation		falling
pursuit		rising
hobby		steady
pastime		rising
occupation		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

5 letters: hobby²
7 letters: pursuit², pastime²
10 letters: occupation⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (hobby² = 2 syllables).