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.
Authorities launched an investigation into Song shortly after he was discharged in 2024, when local media reported that he was frequently absent from his social service duties and took excessive sick leave.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
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
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
In mid-December the secretary became ill and was forced to go on sick leave.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
