leeway

American  

[lee-wey] / ˈliˌweɪ /

noun

1. extra time, space, materials, or the like, within which to operate; margin.

   With ten minutes' leeway we can catch the train.

2. a degree of freedom of action or thought.

   His instructions gave us plenty of leeway.

   Synonyms:

   cushion, flexibility, latitude

3. Also called sag.  Nautical. the amount or angle of the drift of a ship to leeward from its heading.

4. Aeronautics. the amount a plane is blown off its normal course by cross winds.

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leeway British  

/ ˈliːˌweɪ /

noun

1. room for free movement within limits, as in action or expenditure

2. sideways drift of a boat or aircraft

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Etymology

Origin of leeway

First recorded in 1660–70; lee + way ¹

Example Sentences

Nonprofit legal organizations have more leeway to pursue penalties for other allegations employees experienced, even if the individual worker named in the lawsuit did not personally experience all of them.

From Los Angeles Times

Women have a little more leeway, but similar rules apply, she adds.

From The Wall Street Journal

Testing marketing messages with AI-simulated people is a relatively low-stakes task compared with healthcare settings, Brown said, and offers some leeway in case the AI goes awry.

From The Wall Street Journal

Generally, the Food and Drug Administration bans the importation of drugs from abroad, although there is some leeway for medications bought for personal use in quantities of no more than three months’ supply.

From Barron's

The administration said the president had broad leeway to take action against firms, particularly regarding their interactions with the federal government.

From The Wall Street Journal