maternity leave

American  

noun

maternity leaves plural

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

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maternity leave British  

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• maternity leaves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of maternity leave

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

maternity leave

Born in Soviet Chechnya to an ethnic Korean family, Kim founded the company in 2004, reportedly out of her Moscow apartment while on maternity leave with one of her seven children.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

At the time, “having to ask for anything in the workplace other than a maternity leave was unheard of,” said McGrail, who was working for a public-relations firm in New York City.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Struggling after her return from maternity leave in July 2023, Osaka said she did not "feel like I'm in my body".

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

"If we were to criticise politicians taking maternity leave, it means we are effectively excluding all women in their 20s through 40s - women who are capable of becoming pregnant - from public office."

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

It was a good workplace, allowing her to take six weeks of maternity leave after Lexie’s birth, then Trip’s, then Moody’s.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng