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.
One group of devoted players jokingly created a boilerplate agreement for a “GTA”-induced leave of absence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
In a social media post, Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya said he had requested another leave of absence for at least 30 days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Home Depot HD -2.48%decrease; red down pointing triangle Chief Executive Ted Decker will take a temporary medical leave of absence, the company said Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
In December, he was granted a leave of absence by the club to prioritise his mental health, following his sending off in the Champions League defeat by Chelsea a few weeks earlier.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
After weeks of prayer, I decided to take a leave of absence from my career and join the fight overseas.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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.
