sick note

British

noun

informal a document given to an employer certifying that an employee's absence from work of more than four days was due to illness. If the absence is for more than seven days the note must be signed by a doctor See also self-certification

"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

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.

The inquest heard Sheffield United did not offer any psychotherapy or other support to the player and she was given a sick note for time off work by a doctor.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

The sick note and abandonment of placement were "isolated incidents of these types of behaviours", the hearing concluded.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

GPs used to be the only healthcare professionals able to sign a sick note.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2024

I had a commission — to write an essay about marble — that was a sort of sick note, an excuse to abscond from writing anything else.

From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2022

“I need a sick note for today,” I say.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

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