maternity leave
noun
a leave of absence for an expectant or new mother for the birth and care of the baby.
maternity leaves
-
pluralof maternity leave.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Begg took three maternity leaves of around six months in the space of five years, returning to work each time in a four-day week capacity.
From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026
Doctors said they have had to work extra hours while pregnant to extend their maternity leaves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2023
This marks the sixth time a minister has taken parental leave since the ruling centre-left coalition came to power in 2019, with four female ministers on maternity leaves of various lengths while in office.
From Reuters ● Jan. 3, 2023
Gibson asked, referring to programs such as subsidized child care and paid maternity leaves.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2022
Some local authorities have extended maternity leaves or considered tax breaks to encourage women to have a second child.
From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2019
