left

[ left ]

/ lɛft /

adjective

of, relating to, or located on or near the side of a person or thing that is turned toward the west when the subject is facing north (opposed to right).

(often initial capital letter) of or belonging to the political Left; having liberal or radical views in politics.

Mathematics. pertaining to an element of a set that has a given property when written on the left of an element or set of elements of the set: a left identity, as 1 in 1 ⋅ x = x.

noun

the left side or something that is on the left side.

a turn toward the left: Make a left at the next corner.

the Left,

the complex of individuals or organized groups advocating liberal reform or revolutionary change in the social, political, or economic order.
the position held by these people.Compare right(def 33a, b).
left wing.

(usually initial capital letter) Government.

the part of a legislative assembly, especially in continental Europe, that is situated on the left side of the presiding officer and that is customarily assigned to members of the legislature who hold more radical and socialistic views than the rest of the members.
the members of such an assembly who sit on the left.

Boxing. a blow delivered by the left hand.

Baseball. left field(def 1).

adverb

toward the left: She moved left on entering the room.

Words nearby left

lefkoşa, lefort i fracture, lefort ii fracture, lefort iii fracture, lefse, left, left atrioventricular valve, left bank, left brachiocephalic vein, left colic flexure, left colic vein

Origin of left

1125–75; 1935–40 for def 6; Middle English left, lift, luft, Old English left idle, weak, useless, Kentish form of lyft- (in lyftādl palsy); cognate with Dutch, Low German lucht; akin to Middle English libbe (modern dial. lib) to castrate, cognate with Dutch, Low German lubben

Definition for left (2 of 4)

left²

[ left ]

/ lɛft /

verb

simple past tense and past participle of leave¹.

Definition for left (3 of 4)

leave¹

[ leev ]

/ liv /

verb (used with object), left, leav·ing.

to go out of or away from, as a place: to leave the house.

to depart from permanently; quit: to leave a job.

to let remain or have remaining behind after going, disappearing, ceasing, etc.: I left my wallet home. The wound left a scar.

to allow to remain in the same place, condition, etc.: Is there any coffee left?

to let stay or be as specified: to leave a door unlocked.

to let (a person or animal) remain in a position to do something without interference: We left him to his work.

to let (a thing) remain for action or decision: We left the details to the lawyer.

to give in charge; deposit; entrust: Leave the package with the receptionist. I left my name and phone number.

to stop; cease; give up: He left music to study law.

to disregard; neglect: We will leave this for the moment and concentrate on the major problem.

to give for use after one's death or departure: to leave all one's money to charity.

to have remaining after death: He leaves a wife and three children.

to have as a remainder after subtraction: 2 from 4 leaves 2.

Nonstandard. let¹(defs 1, 2, 6).

verb (used without object), left, leav·ing.

to go away, depart, or set out: We leave for Europe tomorrow.

Verb Phrases

leave alone. alone(def 7).

leave off,

to desist from; cease; stop; abandon.
to stop using or wearing: It had stopped raining, so we left off our coats.
to omit: to leave a name off a list.

leave out, to omit; exclude: She left out an important detail in her account.

Origin of leave

before 900; Middle English leven, Old English lǣfan (causative formation from base of lāf remainder; see lave²); cognate with Old High German leiban (compare German bleiben to remain), Old Norse leifa, Gothic -laibjan

SYNONYMS FOR leave

1, 2 abandon, forsake, desert; relinquish.

9 forbear, renounce.

10 ignore, forget.

11 bequeath, will; devise, transmit.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR leave ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR leave

1, 2 join.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR leave ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM leave

leav·er, noun

usage note for leave

Leave is interchangeable with let when followed by alone with the sense “to refrain from annoying or interfering with”: Leave (or Let ) her alone and she will solve the problem easily. When he was left (or let ) alone without interruptions, the boy quickly assembled the apparatus. The use of leave alone for let alone in the sense “not to mention” is nonstandard: There wasn't any standing room, let (not leave ) alone a seat, so I missed the performance.
Other substitutions of leave for let are generally regarded as nonstandard: Let (not Leave ) us sit down and talk this over. Let (not Leave ) her do it her own way. The police wouldn't let (not leave ) us cross the barriers. See also let¹.

Definition for left (4 of 4)

leave³

[ leev ]

/ liv /

verb (used without object), leaved, leav·ing.

to put forth leaves; leaf.

Origin of leave

1250–1300; Middle English leven, derivative of lef leaf

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for left

Not to be left behind, progressives in neighboring Wisconsin clamored to join the cutting edge of public health.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Clad in a blue, striped button-down, a silver watch adorning his left wrist, Huckabee beams on the cover.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Morris searched for whatever strength was left in his malnourished body.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But there is a big twist in this story that has left both Grace Castro and Lozoya frustrated and grasping for more answers.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Human evolution has left men as deeply wired for emotional connections to children as women are.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The poet Byron's bedroom remains almost as he left it, and on the lawn is the monument to his favorite dog, "Boatswain."
England, Picturesque and Descriptive|Joel Cook
James asked, when he and his brother were left alone with the wine.
Poor Relations|Compton Mackenzie
That house was, at length, the only one left standing; and when we returned Mrs. W. pointed it out to me.
Retrospect of Western Travel, Volume I (of 2)|Harriet Martineau
Such rapidity yet precision of thought, such volubility yet clearness of utterance, left all competitors behind.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 1. No 1, June 1850|Various
If I was to write to my mother,' says he, 'that my wife had left me, I believe it would be the death of her.
The Land of Long Ago|Eliza Calvert Hall

British Dictionary definitions for left (1 of 5)

left¹

/ (lɛft) /

adjective

(usually prenominal) of or designating the side of something or someone that faces west when the front is turned towards the north

(usually prenominal) worn on a left hand, foot, etc

(sometimes capital) of or relating to the political or intellectual left

(sometimes capital) radical or progressive, esp as compared to less radical or progressive groups, persons, etc

adverb

on or in the direction of the left

noun

a left side, direction, position, area, or partRelated adjectives: sinister, sinistral

(often capital) the supporters or advocates of varying degrees of social, political, or economic change, reform, or revolution designed to promote the greater freedom, power, welfare, or comfort of the common people

to the left radical in the methods, principles, etc, employed in striving to achieve such change

boxing

a blow with the left hand
the left hand

Word Origin for left

Old English left idle, weak, variant of lyft- (in lyftādl palsy, literally: left-disease); related to Middle Dutch lucht left

British Dictionary definitions for left (2 of 5)

left²

/ (lɛft) /

verb

the past tense and past participle of leave 1

British Dictionary definitions for left (3 of 5)

leave¹

/ (liːv) /

verb leaves, leaving or left (mainly tr)

(also intr) to go or depart (from a person or place)

to cause to remain behind, often by mistake, in a placehe often leaves his keys in his coat

to cause to be or remain in a specified statepaying the bill left him penniless

to renounce or abandonto leave a political movement

to refrain from consuming or doing somethingthe things we have left undone

to result in; causechildhood problems often leave emotional scars

to allow to be or remain subject to another person or thingleave the past to look after itself

to entrust or commitleave the shopping to her

to submit in place of one's personal appearancewill you leave your name and address?

to pass in a specified directionflying out of the country, we left the cliffs on our left

to be survived by (members of one's family)he leaves a wife and two children

to bequeath or devisehe left his investments to his children

(tr) to have as a remainder37 – 14 leaves 23

not standard to permit; let

leave be informal to leave undisturbed

leave go or leave hold of not standard to stop holding

leave it at that informal to take a matter no further

leave much to be desired to be very unsatisfactory

leave someone alone

Also: let alone See let 1 (def. 7)
to permit to stay or be alone

leave someone to himself not to control or direct someone

See also leave behind, leave off, leave out

Derived forms of leave

leaver, noun

Word Origin for leave

Old English lǣfan; related to belīfan to be left as a remainder

British Dictionary definitions for left (4 of 5)

leave²

/ (liːv) /

noun

permission to do somethinghe was granted leave to speak

by your leave or with your leave with your permission

permission to be absent, as from a place of work or dutyleave of absence

the duration of such absenceten days' leave

a farewell or departure (esp in the phrase take (one's) leave)

on leave officially excused from work or duty

take leave to say farewell (to)

take leave of one's senses to go mad or become irrational

Word Origin for leave

Old English lēaf; related to alӯfan to permit, Middle High German loube permission

British Dictionary definitions for left (5 of 5)

leave³

/ (liːv) /

verb leaves, leaving or leaved

(intr) to produce or grow leaves

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with left (1 of 2)

left

In addition to the idioms beginning with left

left field
left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, the
left wing

also see:

hang a left
out in left field
right and left
take up where one left off
two left feet

Idioms and Phrases with left (2 of 2)

leave

In addition to the idioms beginning with leave

leave a bad taste in one's mouth
leave alone
leave a lot to be desired
leave flat
leave hanging
leave holding the bag
leave in the lurch
leave no stone unturned
leave off
leave one cold
leave open
leave out
leave out in the cold
leave out of account
leave someone alone
leave someone in peace
leave someone in the lurch
leave someone to his or her resources
leave the door open
leave to someone's own devices
leave to someone's tender mercies
leave well enough alone
leave without a leg to stand on
leave word

also see:

absent without leave
(leave) high and dry
(leave) out in the cold
take it or leave it
take leave of
take one's leave

Also see underlet.

left

adjective

noun

adverb

Words related to left

Words nearby left

Origin of left

Definition for left (2 of 4)

verb

Definition for left (3 of 4)

verb (used with object), left, leav·ing.

verb (used without object), left, leav·ing.

Verb Phrases

Origin of leave

SYNONYMS FOR leave

ANTONYMS FOR leave

OTHER WORDS FROM leave

usage note for leave

Definition for left (4 of 4)

verb (used without object), leaved, leav·ing.

Origin of leave

Examples from the Web for left

British Dictionary definitions for left (1 of 5)

adjective

adverb

noun

Word Origin for left

British Dictionary definitions for left (2 of 5)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for left (3 of 5)

verb leaves, leaving or left (mainly tr)

Derived forms of leave

Word Origin for leave

British Dictionary definitions for left (4 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for leave

British Dictionary definitions for left (5 of 5)

verb leaves, leaving or leaved

Idioms and Phrases with left (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with left (2 of 2)