Sabbatical

//səˈbætɪkəl// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An extended period of leave from a person's usual pursuits.

    "Gen Z is using micro-retirement to avoid burnout, find greater fulfillment in their work, and enhance their overall well-being. However, it’s not just Gen-Z: According to a survey from Side Hustles, 10% of workers are considering taking a micro-retirement and 75% thought employers should offer micro-retirement policies such as unpaid sabbaticals. […] Your employer may offer flexibility or the option to take a sabbatical."

  2. 2
    a leave usually taken every seventh year wordnet
  3. 3
    A sabbatical year (ancient religious observance).
Adjective
  1. 1
    Relating to the Sabbath. not-comparable
  2. 2
    Relating to the Sabbath not-comparable
  3. 3
    Relating to a sabbatical. not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    of or relating to sabbatical leave wordnet
  2. 2
    of or relating to the Sabbath wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
comfortablefestalfurloughholidayleaveleave of absence

Example

More examples

"The professor is in Japan on sabbatical leave."

Etymology

From Latin sabbaticus + -al.

Related phrases

sabbatical leavesabbatical officersabbatical year

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.