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personal day

American  
[pur-suh-nl dey] / ˈpɜr sə nl ˌdeɪ /

noun

  1. a day that an employee chooses to take off from work for personal reasons.

    I took a personal day to attend my sister's graduation.


Etymology

Origin of personal day

First recorded in 1970–75

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.

The president-elect's son, Donald Trump Jr, paid a brief visit to Greenland on Tuesday, in what he described as a "personal day trip" to talk to people.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2025

It was so difficult to plan for days off, he said, that many resorted to calling in sick when they needed a personal day.

From New York Times • Aug. 19, 2023

A summer vacation getaway doesn’t need to be an overnight haul for your family, out-of-town guests, or a personal day trip.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2023

I hit the submit button, and a second later came my answer: “Your personal day of death is Wednesday, April 23, 2031.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 29, 2023

“Nah, the hospital just hired a bunch of new security guys and I took a much-needed personal day, thank you very much.”

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older