sick leave
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of sick leave
First recorded in 1830–40
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.
A 2019 study by the Center for American Progress found that 39% of all workers — and 80% of low-wage workers — get no paid vacation time, and no paid sick leave.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
It has repeatedly forced her to take sick leave or scale back official duties.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
You should take sick leave when you don’t feel mentally or physically capable of working.
From MarketWatch ● May 11, 2026
During times when people were taking semaglutide, psychiatric-related hospital care and sick leave dropped by 42% compared with periods when they were not using these medications.
From Science Daily ● May 4, 2026
Last year when Ma’s appendix broke, when her sick leave was gone, we got bread, peanut butter, and applesauce.
From "Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
