leave of absence
Americannoun
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permission to be absent from duty, employment, service, etc.; leave.
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the length of time granted in such permission.
a two-year leave of absence.
noun
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permission to be absent from work or duty
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the period of absence
Etymology
Origin of leave of absence
First recorded in 1765–75
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.
The healthcare IT company where Sanchez works as a senior customer success manager allowed her to take a 60-day unpaid leave of absence but said it would have to terminate her employment afterward.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
The manager granted Ronald Araujo a leave of absence in December to prioritise his mental health, describing it as a private situation.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
Matsumoto has been serving on the White House Council of Economic Advisors after taking a leave of absence from the BLS.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026
The fast-growing artificial intelligence company fired the executive, Ryan Beiermeister, in early January, following a leave of absence, according to people familiar with the matter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
But she knew, too, that if no baby arrived, she would get nothing, and she would have dropped the entire year for nothing, and her leave of absence would likely become permanent.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
