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Definitions

leave of absence

NOUN
time away from regular job or school
Synonyms
STRONGEST
furlough sabbatical
WEAK
busman's holiday leave liberty shore leave

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Andrew Castellano had tough news for his parents over the winter break: He was taking a leave of absence from Harvard University halfway through his sophomore year to work full-time on his AI startup.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

You mentioned that a leave of absence and a change in roles did not help.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

The networking platform for medical professionals cut its full-year sales outlook and said its chief financial officer was taking a temporary leave of absence.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

She took a leave of absence because of a work-related injury but returned around 2007.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

But it was never to be, for my leave of absence was up and we had to return to Johannesburg.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela