Sabbatical
[ suh-bat-i-kuh l ]
/ səˈbæt ɪ kəl /
adjective
of or pertaining or appropriate to the Sabbath.
(lowercase) of or relating to a sabbatical year.
(lowercase) bringing a period of rest.
noun
(lowercase) sabbatical year.
(lowercase) any extended period of leave from one's customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.
RELATED CONTENT
Which Words Did English Take From Other Languages?English—is one of the most incredible, flavorfully-complex melting pots of linguistic ingredients from other countries. These linguistic ingredients are called loanwords that have been borrowed and incorporated into English. The loanwords are oftentimes so common now, the foreign flavor has been completely lost.
Sometimes Sab·bat·ic.
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for sabbatical
British Dictionary definitions for sabbatical (1 of 2)
sabbatical
/ (səˈbætɪkəl) /
adjective
denoting a period of leave granted to university staff, teachers, etc, esp approximately every seventh yeara sabbatical year; sabbatical leave
denoting a post that renders the holder eligible for such leave
noun
any sabbatical period
Word Origin for sabbatical
C16: from Greek sabbatikos; see Sabbath
British Dictionary definitions for sabbatical (2 of 2)
Sabbatical
/ (səˈbætɪkəl) /
adjective Also: Sabbatic
of, relating to, or appropriate to the Sabbath as a day of rest and religious observance
noun
short for sabbatical year
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for sabbatical
sabbatical
1640s, "of or suitable for the Sabbath," from Latin sabbaticus, from Greek sabbatikos "of the Sabbath" (see Sabbath). Noun meaning "a year's absence granted to researchers" (originally one year in seven, to university professors) is from 1934, short for sabbatical year, etc., first recorded 1886 (the thing itself is attested from 1880, at Harvard), related to sabbatical year (1590s) in Mosaic law, the seventh year, in which land was to remain untilled and debtors and slaves released.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper