maternity leave

noun

1. a leave of absence for an expectant or new mother for the birth and care of the baby.

maternity leave

noun

1. a period of paid absence from work, in Britain currently six months, to which a woman is legally entitled during the months immediately before and after childbirth

Word History and Origins

Origin of maternity leave¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

She said that while on maternity leave, money was tight and she was finding it hard to keep her toddler entertained without spending too much money.

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Forbes marked another first when she became the first Scottish minister to take maternity leave, when she left to have her daughter Naomi in August 2022.

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While I was grateful for my maternity leave, I didn’t feel completely ready to return to work after four months.

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During maternity leave for her younger child, Cora meets a scruffily cool husband and father named Sam at a local baby group and feels an immediate attraction.

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When one agent was pregnant and went on maternity leave, they brought a rattle made from the throat of a howler monkey for the baby to play with.

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