Meaning & use
leaving
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act of going away from a place, job, school or relationship.
Grammar: Usually uncountable and often follows a possessive: her leaving surprised us.
Patterns
- someone's leaving
- leaving for somewhere
Her leaving came as a shock to the whole team.
The leaving of the old manager marked the end of an era.
Nobody mentioned his leaving at the meeting.
nounusually pluralold-fashioned
Things that remain after a meal or process, especially unwanted scraps.
Grammar: Almost always plural: leavings are what is left behind.
Patterns
- the leavings of something
The birds picked at the leavings of the picnic.
He fed the dog the leavings from dinner.
Only the leavings of the market sale remained by evening.
adjectivebefore a noun
Used to describe a person or thing that is departing or about to go.
Grammar: Comes before a noun, often in compounds: leaving party, leaving date.
Patterns
- leaving date
- leaving party
The leaving staff were thanked at the end-of-year lunch.
We set a leaving date of the first of June.
They held a leaving party for the retiring teacher.
Common combinations
- leaving party
- The office threw her a leaving party on Friday.
- leaving date
- His leaving date is the end of the month.
- leaving present
- We bought our boss a leaving present.
- leaving certificate
- In Ireland, students sit the Leaving Certificate at eighteen.
- before leaving
- Please lock the door before leaving.
Synonyms and how they differ
- departure
- Departure is more formal and often used for travel or official exits, while leaving feels more personal.
- exit
- Exit focuses on the moment of going out, whereas leaving can cover a longer process such as quitting a job.
- resignation
- Resignation applies only to a formal decision to quit a post, whereas leaving can be for any reason.
- going
- Going is more casual and less final, while leaving suggests a clear break from a place or role.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: leaving or living?
leaving vs living
Leaving means going away, while living means being alive or residing somewhere. They sound different: /ˈliːvɪŋ/ versus /ˈlɪvɪŋ/.
Practice
Which sentence uses leaving as a noun?
Choose one answer.
In 'Her leaving upset the children', leaving is the subject, so it works as a noun after the possessive. In the other sentences it is part of a verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “leaving”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.