Leave Definition & Meaning

American

British

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Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

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Synonyms leave 1 American [leev] / liv /

verb (used with object)

left, leaving

1. to go out of or away from, as a place.

   to leave the house.

   Synonyms: relinquish, desert, forsake, abandon Antonyms: join

2. to depart from permanently; quit.

   to leave a job.

   Synonyms: relinquish, desert, forsake, abandon Antonyms: join

3. to let remain or have remaining behind after going, disappearing, ceasing, etc..

   I left my wallet home.

   The wound left a scar.

4. to allow to remain in the same place, condition, etc..

   Is there any coffee left?

5. to let stay or be as specified.

   to leave a door unlocked.

6. to let (a person or animal) remain in a position to do something without interference.

   We left him to his work.

7. to let (a thing) remain for action or decision.

   We left the details to the lawyer.

8. to give in charge; deposit; entrust.

   Leave the package with the receptionist.

   I left my name and phone number.

9. to stop; cease; give up.

   He left music to study law.

   Synonyms: renounce, forbear

10. to disregard; neglect.

    We will leave this for the moment and concentrate on the major problem.

    Synonyms: forget, ignore

11. to give for use after one's death or departure.

    to leave all one's money to charity.

    Synonyms: transmit, devise, will, bequeath

12. to have remaining after death.

    He leaves a wife and three children.

13. to have as a remainder after subtraction.

    2 from 4 leaves 2.

14. Nonstandard. let.

verb (used without object)

left, leaving

1. to go away, depart, or set out.

   We leave for Europe tomorrow.

verb phrase

1. leave out to omit; exclude.

   She left out an important detail in her account.

2. leave off

   1. to desist from; cease; stop; abandon.

   2. to stop using or wearing.

      It had stopped raining, so we left off our coats.

   3. to omit.

      to leave a name off a list.

idioms

1. leave well enough alone. alone.

2. leave alone,

   1. Also let alone to refrain from annoying or interfering with.

      Those kids wouldn't leave the dog alone, and he eventually turned on them.

      She finally shouted, “Leave me alone!” at the man who had been following her for several blocks.

   2. to allow or cause (someone) to be left on their own: They left me all alone, and I couldn’t figure out how to get back home.

      Leave him alone—he wants to rest.

      They left me all alone, and I couldn’t figure out how to get back home.

leave 2 American [leev] / liv /

noun

1. permission to do something.

   to beg leave to go elsewhere.

   Synonyms: liberty

2. permission to be absent, as from work or military duty.

   The firm offers a maternity leave as part of its benefit program.

   Synonyms: furlough, vacation, liberty

3. the time this permission lasts.

   30 days' leave.

   Synonyms: furlough, vacation, liberty

4. a parting; departure; farewell.

   He took his leave before the formal ceremonies began.

   We took leave of them after dinner.

5. Metallurgy. draft.

6. Bowling. the pin or pins in upright position after the bowl of the first ball.

leave 3 American [leev] / liv /

verb (used without object)

leaved, leaving

1. to put forth leaves; leaf.

leave 1 British / liːv /

verb

1. (also intr) to go or depart (from a person or place)

2. to cause to remain behind, often by mistake, in a place

   he often leaves his keys in his coat

3. to cause to be or remain in a specified state

   paying the bill left him penniless

4. to renounce or abandon

   to leave a political movement

5. to refrain from consuming or doing something

   the things we have left undone

6. to result in; cause

   childhood problems often leave emotional scars

7. to allow to be or remain subject to another person or thing

   leave the past to look after itself

8. to entrust or commit

   leave the shopping to her

9. to submit in place of one's personal appearance

   will you leave your name and address?

10. to pass in a specified direction

    flying out of the country, we left the cliffs on our left

11. to be survived by (members of one's family)

    he leaves a wife and two children

12. to bequeath or devise

    he left his investments to his children

13. (tr) to have as a remainder

    37 – 14 leaves 23

14. not_standard to permit; let

15. informal to leave undisturbed

16. not_standard to stop holding

17. informal to take a matter no further

18. to be very unsatisfactory

19. 1. Also: let alone. See let 1

    2. to permit to stay or be alone

20. not to control or direct someone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 leave 2 British / liːv /

noun

1. permission to do something

   he was granted leave to speak

2. with your permission

3. permission to be absent, as from a place of work or duty

   leave of absence

4. the duration of such absence

   ten days' leave

5. a farewell or departure (esp in the phrase take ( one's ) leave )

6. officially excused from work or duty

7. to say farewell (to)

8. to go mad or become irrational

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 leave 3 British / liːv /

verb

1. (intr) to produce or grow leaves

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 leave More Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing leave

• (leave) high and dry
• (leave) out in the cold
• absent without leave
• let
• take it or leave it
• take leave of
• take one's leave

Usage

Leave is interchangeable with let when followed by alone with the sense “to refrain from annoying or interfering with”: Leave (or Let ) her alone and she will solve the problem easily. When he was left (or let ) alone without interruptions, the boy quickly assembled the apparatus. The use of leave alone for let alone in the sense “not to mention” is nonstandard: There wasn't any standing room, let (not leave ) alone a seat, so I missed the performance. Other substitutions of leave for let are generally regarded as nonstandard: Let (not Leave ) us sit down and talk this over. Let (not Leave ) her do it her own way. The police wouldn't let (not leave ) us cross the barriers. See also let 1.

Other Word Forms

• leaver noun

Etymology

Origin of leave1

First recorded before 900; Middle English leven “to stop, cease, discontinue; abandon; allow; depart, leave,” Old English lǣfan “to leave; remain; have or be left remaining”; cognate with Old High German leiban (compare German bleiben “to remain”), Old Norse leifa “to leave, leave behind, leave (food) as a leftover, bequeath, abandon,” Gothic bilaibjan “to leave, leave behind, forsake”; lave 2

Origin of leave2

First recorded before 900; Middle English leve, leave, leife “permission, permission to go, farewell,” Old English lēaf “permission, license”; akin to believe, furlough, lief

Origin of leave3

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English leven, lefie, derivative of lef “leaf”; leaf

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.

Done right, narrative exposition will tell an audience everything that they need to know about a character, while leaving just enough room for curiosity to take hold.

From Salon

This makes it possible to fine tune gene control over time rather than leaving it continuously active.

From Science Daily

Using these measurements, Chinni and the team calculated how much additional iron was present in water leaving the cavity compared with water entering it.

From Science Daily

While they initially didn't take it seriously, just three weeks later, they had bought a mobile home and were packing their bags ready to leave their Hereford homes for a new life in Wales.

From BBC

Since Friday night, long queues have formed at petrol stations, and many residents of the capital, Tehran, have begun leaving the city for the north, near the Caspian Sea, which they believe is safer.

From BBC

Related Words

• disappear
• escape
• flee
• fly
• go
• move
• quit
• retire
• start
• take off
• withdraw

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.