maternity leave

noun

: time off from a job given a mother to take care of a newborn child
The company granted her maternity leave.

Examples of maternity leave 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.
The move will all but eliminate waivers or resdhirt years for extended eligibility except for religious missions, maternity leave or active-duty military service. ABC News, 23 June 2026 One solution the report suggests is fully paid leave for fathers - lasting as long as maternity leave. Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 21 June 2026 Vance will fill in for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who remains on maternity leave. Joey Garrison, USA Today, 19 June 2026 Williams first began posting online during her maternity leave from her previous job in private equity. Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for maternity leave

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maternity leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maternity%20leave. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster