sick leave

noun

1
: an absence from work permitted because of illness
2
: the number of days per year for which an employer agrees to pay employees who are sick

Examples of sick leave in a Sentence

employee benefits such as vacation time and sick leave We are allotted three weeks annual sick leave. He's been on sick leave since last Thursday.
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.
Republicans also broke a filibuster to repeal sick leave protections approved by voters last November. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2025 The survey focused specifically on time taken off that excludes sick leave, doctor's appointments—instead honing in on time explicitly set aside for personal well-being and leisure. Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Apr. 2025 Their first order of business last week when session began Wednesday was introducing legislation to preserve tipped wages at 38% of the minimum wage, and to prevent certain changes to paid sick leave mandates. Joe Guillen, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025 Ride-hailing companies classify their drivers as independent contractors in the United States instead of employees, meaning the companies don’t have to provide workers certain benefits such as sick leave and overtime pay. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sick leave

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sick leave was in 1820

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sick leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sick%20leave. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

sick leave

noun
1
: an absence from work permitted because of illness
2
: the number of days per year for which an employer agrees to pay employees who are sick
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!