sick leave

noun

1
: an absence from work permitted because of illness
2
: the number of days per year for which an employer agrees to pay employees who are sick

Examples of sick leave in a Sentence

employee benefits such as vacation time and sick leave We are allotted three weeks annual sick leave. He's been on sick leave since last Thursday.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The agreement the hospital ultimately reached with physicians boosted pay, expanded sick leave and included a commitment to change staffing models. Patrick Aguilar, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025 Worker protection policies could include things like paid pumping breaks for breastfeeding workers, mandates for equal pay, paid family and medical leave and paid sick leave. Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025 And last month, Oxfam noted, Missouri’s governor signed a law overturning provisions of Proposition A, which would have provided paid sick leave and raised the minimum wage. Josie Cox, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 In Friedman’s fourth season, then-principal trombone Robert Lambert went on a sick leave that became permanent. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sick leave

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sick leave was in 1820

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Cite this Entry

“Sick leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sick%20leave. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

sick leave

noun
1
: an absence from work permitted because of illness
2
: the number of days per year for which an employer agrees to pay employees who are sick
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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