left

¹ American  

[left] / lɛft /

adjective

1. being, relating to, or located on or nearest to the side where a person’s heart normally is (opposed to right).

   Dan was ahead of me and on the left side of the street.

   I have arthritis in my left knee.

2. Often Left of or belonging to the political Left; having liberal or radical views in politics.

3. 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

1. the left side or something that is on the left side; the direction toward that side.

   The laundry room is the first door on your left.

   Move the picture about a foot to the left so it’s centered above the sofa.

2. a turn toward the left.

   Make a left at the next corner.

3. none the left or the Left

   1. the complex of individuals or organized groups advocating liberal reform or revolutionary change in the social, political, or economic order.

   2. the position held by these people.

   3. left wing.

4. Government. Usually Left

   1. 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.

   2. the members of such an assembly who sit on the left.

5. Boxing. a blow delivered by the left hand.

6. Baseball. left field.

adverb

1. toward the left.

   She moved left on entering the room.

left ² American  

[left] / lɛft /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of leave.

---

idioms

1. get left,

   1. to be left stranded.

   2. to miss an opportunity, objective, etc.

left ¹ British  

/ lɛft /

adjective

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

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

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

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

---

adverb

1. on or in the direction of the left

noun

1. a left side, direction, position, area, or part

2. (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

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

4. boxing

   1. a blow with the left hand

   2. the left hand

left ² British  

/ lɛft /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of leave 1

---

left More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing left

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

---

Etymology

Origin of left

First recorded in 1125–75; 1935–40 left ¹ 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 dialect lib ) “to castrate,” cognate with Dutch, Low German lubben

Explanation

If you are holding a compass and facing north, the direction to the west of you is also to your left. Left is the opposite of "right." People who are left-handed write with their left hands. and when you take a left turn on your bike, you should signal by holding your left arm straight out to the left. When left is an adjective, it has a completely different meaning: something that's left on the table, or remaining there, will probably be thrown away by your waiter. The Old English root is luft-, "weak," as most right-handed folks are weaker on their left sides.

Example Sentences

Lately, these moves have been driven by significant federal funding cuts, which have left some states scrambling to fill budget holes, although others have long been struggling under their own fiscal pressures.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

Some forms noted the time a spouse or child left for work each day and when they returned home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Gao left China for New York, where he has permanent residency, shortly after Xi oversaw an amendment to China's criminal code in 2021, which strengthened laws against insulting the country's "heroes and martyrs".

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Newgarden’s chances declined upon discovering a flat spot on his left front tire, and he dropped back to 14th.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

Each time someone left the room he had to step over a dozen others.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• leftist
• liberal