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.
Employees would now earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, compared to the previous 35-hour requirement. — Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 The cost to pay that nanny, including paid sick leave and vacation time, amounted to more than $36,000 per year for the past three years for the Moriarty-Silers. — Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026 In 2017, he was hospitalized for an infection; in 2019 and 2020, he was temporarily placed on sick leave due, respectively, to a viral infection and health issues that required further investigation. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 The monarch, who reigned since 1991, had been on sick leave for several weeks, with his son, Crown Prince Haakon, 53, stepping in to serve as king regent. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for sick leave

See All Rhymes for sick leave

Browse Nearby Words

sickle and hammer
sick leave
sickle bar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sick leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sick%20leave. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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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
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