Meaning & use
absence leave
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountableformalbusinesslaw
Authorized time away from work or duty, especially for reasons like illness, family matters, or personal reasons.
Grammar: Uncountable: you say absence leave, not an absence leave or absence leaves.
Patterns
- on absence leave
- take absence leave
- request absence leave
She is on absence leave to care for her sick mother.
The company offers paid absence leave for up to three months.
He requested absence leave for personal reasons.
Common combinations
- paid absence leave
- The new policy provides paid absence leave for family emergencies.
- unpaid absence leave
- He took unpaid absence leave to travel.
- absence leave policy
- Please read the absence leave policy in your employee handbook.
- request absence leave
- You must request absence leave at least two weeks in advance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- leave of absence
- This is the more common and standard phrase for authorized time off; 'absence leave' is less common and often used in official documents.
- furlough
- A furlough is usually a temporary layoff or forced leave, often without pay; absence leave is typically voluntary or for personal reasons.
Word family
Commonly confused: absence leave or leave of absence? absence leave or annual leave?
absence leave vs leave of absence
This is the standard phrase. 'Absence leave' is sometimes used in HR documents but is less common and may sound awkward to native speakers.
absence leave vs annual leave
Annual leave is paid vacation time; absence leave is a broader term for any authorized time off, often for specific reasons like illness or family.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'absence leave' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Absence leave' is uncountable, so it does not take 'a' or 'an' or a plural form. You say 'on absence leave' without an article.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “absence leave”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.