leave of absence
Americannoun
-
permission to be absent from duty, employment, service, etc.; leave.
-
the length of time granted in such permission.
a two-year leave of absence.
noun
-
permission to be absent from work or duty
-
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 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
Andrew Castellano had tough news for his parents over the winter break: He was taking a leave of absence from Harvard University halfway through his sophomore year to work full-time on his AI startup.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
I took a leave of absence and recently changed to a position with less responsibility, but that did not help.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026
The networking platform for medical professionals cut its full-year sales outlook and said its chief financial officer was taking a temporary leave of absence.
From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026
A few months ago, her company and the school board came up with a new program that lets professionals take a leave of absence for a year to teach in inner-city schools.
From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake
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.
