compassionate leave
noun
chiefly British
: a period of time when a person is allowed to stay home from work because a family member is sick or has died
He has three days of compassionate leave for the funeral.
Examples of compassionate leave in a Sentence
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Konate cut short his compassionate leave after the death of his father in January to help the side secure a 4-1 win over Newcastle United, and started every league game after that.
—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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James Pearce,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compassionate leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compassionate%20leave. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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