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.
Home Depot Chief Executive Ted Decker is taking a temporary medical leave of absence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
A week after, he was granted a leave of absence to prioritise his mental health and received professional support and treatment to "take care of himself emotionally".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
And now she is saying the stress of working those late hours has caused her to take a leave of absence.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Savannah Guthrie returned to the show in early April after taking an extended leave of absence amid the investigation that became a national news story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Well, let him tell it: he took a leave of absence, but it’s been a year and I haven’t heard anything about his trying to go back.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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.
