Synonyms

sick leave

American

noun

leave from duty, work, or the like, granted because of illness.

sick leave British

noun

leave of absence from work through illness

"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

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.

She went on sick leave in November 2023.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

You can also take sick leave when you’re mentally overwhelmed or exhausted or, for example, when you need time for routine dental care.

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

Blue flu is when a large number of police officers take sick leave as a form of protest.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

My father said he bet that was in the teachers’ contracts along with sick leave and medical benefits: only one Herdman at a time.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023