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.
Storms took a leave of absence from her long-running role as Maxie in July to move from Los Angeles to Nashville with her daughter Harper, 11. Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025 Devils forward Timo Meier also returned after taking a leave of absence earlier this month to deal with a family matter. CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025 Johnson is back on the Granada bench after taking a leave of absence from the team last season to care for his newborn child. Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2025 The suspect was admitted to a Brown graduate physics program in the fall of 2000 and took a leave of absence months later before withdrawing, the university’s president said. Phil Helsel, NBC news, 19 Dec. 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 Jan. 2026.

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!