Sabbatical

[ suh-bat-i-kuhl ]

/ səˈbæt ɪ kəl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for Sabbatical on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Sometimes Sab·bat·ic .

Origin of Sabbatical

1605–15; <Greek sabbatikós (sábbat(on) Sabbath + -ikos-ic) + -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM Sabbatical

Sab·bat·i·cal·ly, adverbSab·bat·i·cal·ness, nounnon-Sab·bat·ic, adjective, nounnon-Sab·bat·i·cal, adjective, noun

non-Sab·bat·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby Sabbatical

sabayon, Sabbat, Sabbatarian, Sabbath, Sabbath school, Sabbatical, sabbatical year, Sabbatize, SABC, Sabean, Sabellian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Sabbatical in a sentence

I was also teaching my courses at UC-Berkeley much of that time, though I had time off in the summers and through a sabbatical.
How Richard Pryor Beat Bill Cosby and Transformed America|David Yaffe, Scott Saul|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After a four-year sabbatical, today LeBron James decided to go back home.
LeBron James: The Yoko Ono of The Heatles|Robert Silverman|July 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The key to a truly disconnected holiday is to take an email sabbatical, says Danah Boyd, senior researcher at Microsoft.
Seven Things to Do on National Day of Unplugging|Sam Schlinkert|March 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Her recent medical episode underscores her need for a sabbatical.
Hillary Clinton 2016? Women Look Ahead To ‘History In the Making’|Paul Alexander|January 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST

However, the rigor of the Jewish Sabbatical laws was by no means followed.
Speeches, Addresses, and Occasional Sermons, Volume 2 (of 3)|Theodore Parker
There are not less spirits drank on amount of a sabbatical gloom; for harmless chearfulness is rather a preservative of innocence.
Letter To Sir Samuel Shepherd|Anonymous
A sabbatical calm results from the contemplation of his labours.
Res Judicat|Augustine Birrell
Mrs. Morran all forenoon was in a state of un-Sabbatical disquiet.
Huntingtower|John Buchan
The seventh is the Sabbatical year, when bondsmen were to be released and debts go free.
Bible Studies|Joseph M. Wheeler

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