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sabbatical

noun

Definition of sabbaticalnext
as in vacation
a period of time during which someone does not work at their regular job Several professors will be taking sabbaticals this year. She recently returned to work after a two-year sabbatical from her acting career.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sabbatical Greg Brockman, the cofounder and president of OpenAI, has been with Sam Altman for the startup’s entire history, including during Altman’s brief 2023 ousting as CEO, only taking a short sabbatical late last year. — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 25 July 2026 Almost no one can afford to take a sabbatical immediately, but make a plan for five to seven years from now and begin to budget and strategize to make the logistics work. — Dj Didonna, Time, 13 July 2026 For cultural and biological reasons, female tennis players far more commonly take sabbaticals. — Josh Levin, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026 The very mission of my sabbatical was to examine exactly this question. — Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sabbatical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sabbatical
  1. vacation
  2. break
  3. furlough
  4. leave
  5. holiday
  6. liberty
Noun
  • Bieber celebrated her eighth wedding anniversary with husband Justin on a scenic vacation, which is where said sweater-season nails made their appearance.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Love of Your Life transforms into a mourning vacation, as Maya leaves her new family behind to drink, eat and f*ck her way through years of her life, doing telehealth to pay the bills.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of vacation
Noun
  • For starters, Drive’s dreamy and unabashed aestheticism represented a break from the rougher, more visceral films on which Winding Refn had built his reputation.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The Pentagon’s policy breaks from that approach, requiring testosterone screening for all male personnel 30 and older and allowing younger members also to request screenings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of break
Noun
  • Pilots, flight attendants and other aviation workers faced pay cuts and furloughs from the decrease in flyers.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Former employees said Monday was coincidentally the day their layoffs from the hospital became official after months of furlough.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of furlough
Noun
  • Its modular design leaves room for additional hardware and software.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Mitragynine is an alkaloid that occurs in trace amounts in the leaves of the kratom tree, Mitragyna speciosa, prevalent in Southeast Asia.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of leave
Noun
  • Last week's results include a separate adjustment for the Labor Day holiday.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Nielsen’s daily data also promises to let data trackers better understand how news events and holidays impact viewing.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of holiday
Noun
  • Taylor is charged with felony indecent liberties with a student by school guardian, officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Creative liberties include a romance between Borden and the family’s live-in maid, Bridget Sullivan (Vicky Krieps).
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of liberty

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sabbatical
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Cite this Entry

“Sabbatical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sabbatical. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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