shore leave
Americannoun
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permission to spend time ashore, usually 48 hours or more, granted a member of a ship's company.
-
the time spent ashore during such leave.
noun
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permission to go ashore Compare liberty
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time spent ashore during leave
Etymology
Origin of shore leave
First recorded in 1905–10
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.
This is a lighthearted comic dance about sailors on shore leave in World War II.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Denied shore leave after more than three weeks at sea and still reeling from the news the world is in lockdown, the crew are concerned about what lies ahead.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2025
Times were different when Jerome Robbins choreographed “Fancy Free,” his 1944 one-act ballet about three sailors on shore leave.
From New York Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
An Israeli official said Ankara had submitted a preliminary request for the crew to disembark on shore leave.
From Reuters ● Sep. 4, 2022
The old man made his way through the handcarts and fishmongers fresh from the sea, stubbing his toes on the cobbles and bumping into sailors on shore leave.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
