✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

leave of absence

noun phrase

1
: permission to be absent from duty or employment
2

Examples of leave of absence in a Sentence

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.
On Monday, Barcelona granted Araujo a leave of absence. Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025 Jones took an extended leave of absence from Today in late 2024 and returned to the show in September. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025 Fin was hospitalized from the beating and took a leave of absence to deal with the trauma from the altercation. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 25 Nov. 2025 In general, very few students who take a leave of absence from school end up returning. Ryan Travia, The Conversation, 20 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leave of absence

Word History

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of leave of absence was in 1756

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leave of absence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leave%20of%20absence. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on leave of absence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!