visitation

noun

vis·​i·​ta·​tion ˌvi-zə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: an instance of visiting: such as

a

: an official visit (as for inspection)

b

: wake entry 2 sense 3

c

: temporary custody of a child granted to a noncustodial parent

visitation rights

2

a

: a special dispensation of divine favor or wrath

b

: a severe trial : affliction

3

capitalized : the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth recounted in Luke and celebrated July 2 by a Christian feast

Synonyms

• call
• visit

Examples of visitation in a Sentence

He has visitation rights on the weekends.

the visitation of a diocese by a bishop

Visitation is from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Recent Examples on the Web

The city obtained its data on visitation and foot traffic from Placer.ai, and its spending trends based on the Mastercard consumer spending index. —Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024

In his 2013 divorce with Pilar, Sanders won custody of all three of the couple's children initially, and Pilar was awarded visitation rights. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 3 Dec. 2024

Distractions include a nosy principal, a cast of unfocused students and visitations from Charles Dickens’ ghost. —Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Nov. 2024

The feuding parents found common ground, finally reaching an agreement on visitation and child support. —Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

visitation

noun

vis·​i·​ta·​tion ˌviz-ə-ˈtā-shən 

: an instance of visiting

especially : a visit by an important person for a reason (as an inspection)

Legal Definition

visitation

noun

vis·​i·​ta·​tion ˌvi-zə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: an official visit (as for inspection)

visitation of the home of a neglected child

2

: access to a child granted especially to a parent who does not have custody

supervised visitation

visitation rights