1
a
: of, relating to, situated on, or being the side of the body in which the heart is mostly located
her left leg
b
: done with the left hand
a left hook to the jaw
c
: located nearer to the left hand than to the right
a man's left chest
d(1)
: located on the left of an observer facing in the same direction as the object specified
stage left
the left arm of a chair
(2)
: located on the left when facing downstream
the left bank of a river
2
often capitalized
: of, adhering to, or constituted by the left especially in politics
this left government with a cabinet of moderate liberals—
F. A. Magruder
F. A. Magruder
left
adverb
1
a
: the left hand
b
: the location or direction of the left side
c
: the part on the left side
d
: a turn to the left
take a left at the intersection
2
a
b
: a blow struck with the left fist
3
often capitalized
a
: the part of a legislative chamber located to the left of the presiding officer
b
: the members of a continental European legislative body occupying the left as a result of holding more radical political views than other members
4
often capitalized
a
: those professing views usually characterized by desire to reform or overthrow the established order especially in politics and usually advocating change in the name of the greater freedom or well-being of the common man
b
: a radical as distinguished from a conservative position
left
3 of 3past tense and past participle of leave
Synonyms
Examples of left in a Sentence
Adjective
He felt a pain in his left side.
He hit him with a left hook to the jaw.
the left side of the street
Noun
We read from left to right.
You'll take two lefts and then a right.
He hit him with two quick lefts to the stomach followed by a right to the jaw.
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Recent Examples on the WebNicole Briese, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023
Those simple expressions of gratitude will hold even more significance for the Salmon family after Tim shattered his left wrist last June in a freak houseboat accident that could have killed him.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
My dad had bullet holes in his chest, his shoulder, his rib cage, his right elbow, and his left thigh.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
There are too many far left activists in the court for that expectation to hold true.
—Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, National Review, 19 Nov. 2023
Take a step to the right, maintaining your posture, then bring your left foot to meet the right, then reverse.
—Nicole Borgenicht, Health, 17 Nov. 2023
Forward Kobe Johnson also missed a second consecutive game with left knee discomfort.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
The tension among the party’s left flank is clear as some lawmakers are facing mounting criticism from liberal constituents who want to see the Biden administration pursue a ceasefire and more humanitarian relief.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner, 15 Nov. 2023
From left to right: Bruce Schneier, Elliott Peterson, Allison Nixon, Brian Krebs, and Scott Shapiro.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023
John Last, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023
Despite warnings to stay put, Gazans desperate to see family and what’s left of their homes are still trying to return to the north, where a majority of the enclave’s 2.2 million people lived before the war.
—Susannah George, Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2023
At the end of regulation, Fairfax had the ball on the Chatsworth 10, but the Chancellors sacked Levant and recovered a fumble with one second left, forcing overtime.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2023
The Aztecs blew a 12-point lead in the closing minutes of regulation, went to overtime on a controversial foul call with a second left, then somehow re-inflated their bruised egos for a wild 100-97 win against Washington in the championship game of the four-team tournament at T-Mobile Arena.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2023
The man, holding a drink in his right hand and reaching for keys with his left, approached his front door through an outdoor corridor, video showed.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2023
Still, previous Presidents, in similar binds, have faced significant pressure almost entirely from flag-waving nationalists on the right; Biden is now being cross-pressured from his left, and this seems to be having an effect.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2023
There is the feeling of loneliness in light of the global left’s support of Hamas.
—Ksenia Svetlova, The New Republic, 31 Oct. 2023
San Pedro scored with 1:04 left, then successfully converted a two-point conversion to pull out the victory.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
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Adjective
Simon, who lost most of the hearing in his left ear, announced his retirement from touring on X (formerly known as Twitter) in 2018, citing time away from his wife as one of his main motivations, while Brickell made occasional musical appearances while raising their kids.
—Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023
Those simple expressions of gratitude will hold even more significance for the Salmon family after Tim shattered his left wrist last June in a freak houseboat accident that could have killed him.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
My dad had bullet holes in his chest, his shoulder, his rib cage, his right elbow, and his left thigh.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
There are too many far left activists in the court for that expectation to hold true.
—Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, National Review, 19 Nov. 2023
Take a step to the right, maintaining your posture, then bring your left foot to meet the right, then reverse.
—Nicole Borgenicht, Health, 17 Nov. 2023
Forward Kobe Johnson also missed a second consecutive game with left knee discomfort.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
The tension among the party’s left flank is clear as some lawmakers are facing mounting criticism from liberal constituents who want to see the Biden administration pursue a ceasefire and more humanitarian relief.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner, 15 Nov. 2023
From left to right: Bruce Schneier, Elliott Peterson, Allison Nixon, Brian Krebs, and Scott Shapiro.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023
Noun
Today, even among the radical left, Icaria’s legacy is often forgotten, not least because modern communism soon after rejected its utopian vision.
—John Last, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023
Despite warnings to stay put, Gazans desperate to see family and what’s left of their homes are still trying to return to the north, where a majority of the enclave’s 2.2 million people lived before the war.
—Susannah George, Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2023
At the end of regulation, Fairfax had the ball on the Chatsworth 10, but the Chancellors sacked Levant and recovered a fumble with one second left, forcing overtime.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2023
The Aztecs blew a 12-point lead in the closing minutes of regulation, went to overtime on a controversial foul call with a second left, then somehow re-inflated their bruised egos for a wild 100-97 win against Washington in the championship game of the four-team tournament at T-Mobile Arena.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2023
The man, holding a drink in his right hand and reaching for keys with his left, approached his front door through an outdoor corridor, video showed.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2023
Still, previous Presidents, in similar binds, have faced significant pressure almost entirely from flag-waving nationalists on the right; Biden is now being cross-pressured from his left, and this seems to be having an effect.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2023
There is the feeling of loneliness in light of the global left’s support of Hamas.
—Ksenia Svetlova, The New Republic, 31 Oct. 2023
San Pedro scored with 1:04 left, then successfully converted a two-point conversion to pull out the victory.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'left.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Middle English, from Old English, weak; akin to Middle Low German lucht left; from the left hand's being the weaker in most individuals
First Known Use
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
Time Traveler
The first known use of left was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing left
Dictionary Entries Near left
Cite this Entry
“Left.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/left. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
left
1 of 3 adjective1
: of, relating to, or being the side of the body in which the heart is mostly located
the left leg
2
: located nearer to the left side of the body than to the right
the left arm of a chair
left
adverb
left
2 of 3 noun1
: the left side or the part on the left side
2
: the members of a European legislative body sitting to the left of the presiding officer and holding more radical views than other members
3
capitalized
: political liberals or radicals
also
: their beliefs
left
3 of 3past and past participle of leave
Medical Definition
left
adjective
: of, relating to, or being the side of the body in which the heart is mostly located
also
: located nearer to this side than to the right
More from Merriam-Webster on left
Nglish: Translation of left for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of left for Arabic Speakers
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