compassionate leave

American

[kuhm-pash-uhn-it leev] / kəmˈpæʃ ən ɪt ˈliv /

noun

Chiefly British. time off from work, or out of prison, granted to someone because of a death or health crisis in their family.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In his first game after compassionate leave, there was a poignant moment at Anfield when the defender was in tears while celebrating a goal against Newcastle in the 4-1 win.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Konate had missed Liverpool's three previous matches after being allowed compassionate leave.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni are out injured, while Ibrahima Konate is absent on compassionate leave following the death of his father.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

In 2020 Stokes missed England matches for compassionate leave and later that year his father Ged died after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2022

Alex Telles, Jesse Lingard and Jadon Sancho drop to the bench, while Saturday’s hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo is on compassionate leave.

From The Guardian • Apr. 19, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023