What does leave mean?

Definitions for leave
livleave

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word leave.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. leave, leave of absencenoun

    the period of time during which you are absent from work or duty

    "a ten day's leave to visit his mother"

  2. leavenoun

    permission to do something

    "she was granted leave to speak"

  3. farewell, leave, leave-taking, partingverb

    the act of departing politely

    "he disliked long farewells"; "he took his leave"; "parting is such sweet sorrow"

  4. leave, go forth, go awayverb

    go away from a place

    "At what time does your train leave?"; "She didn't leave until midnight"; "The ship leaves at midnight"

  5. leaveverb

    go and leave behind, either intentionally or by neglect or forgetfulness

    "She left a mess when she moved out"; "His good luck finally left him"; "her husband left her after 20 years of marriage"; "she wept thinking she had been left behind"

  6. leaveverb

    act or be so as to become in a specified state

    "The inflation left them penniless"; "The president's remarks left us speechless"

  7. leave, leave alone, leave behindverb

    leave unchanged or undisturbed or refrain from taking

    "leave it as is"; "leave the young fawn alone"; "leave the flowers that you see in the park behind"

  8. exit, go out, get out, leaveverb

    move out of or depart from

    "leave the room"; "the fugitive has left the country"

  9. leave, allow for, allow, provideverb

    make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain

    "This leaves no room for improvement"; "The evidence allows only one conclusion"; "allow for mistakes"; "leave lots of time for the trip"; "This procedure provides for lots of leeway"

  10. leave, result, leadverb

    have as a result or residue

    "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her blood left a stain on the napkin"

  11. leave, depart, pull up stakesverb

    remove oneself from an association with or participation in

    "She wants to leave"; "The teenager left home"; "She left her position with the Red Cross"; "He left the Senate after two terms"; "after 20 years with the same company, she pulled up stakes"

  12. entrust, leaveverb

    put into the care or protection of someone

    "He left the decision to his deputy"; "leave your child the nurse's care"

  13. bequeath, will, leaveverb

    leave or give by will after one's death

    "My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelry"; "My grandfather left me his entire estate"

  14. leaveverb

    have left or have as a remainder

    "That left the four of us"; "19 minus 8 leaves 11"

  15. leave, leave behindverb

    be survived by after one's death

    "He left six children"; "At her death, she left behind her husband and 11 cats"

  16. impart, leave, give, pass onverb

    transmit (knowledge or skills)

    "give a secret to the Russians"; "leave your name and address here"; "impart a new skill to the students"

  17. forget, leaveverb

    leave behind unintentionally

    "I forgot my umbrella in the restaurant"; "I left my keys inside the car and locked the doors"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Leavenoun

    Etymology: leafe , Saxon; from lyfan , to grant.

    By your leave, Ireneus, notwithstanding all this your careful foresight, methinks I see an evil lurk unespied. Edmund Spenser.

    When him his dearest Una did behold,
    Disdaining life, desiring leave to dye. Edmund Spenser.

    I make bold to press upon you.
    —— You’re welcome; give us leave, drawer. William Shakespeare.

    The days
    Of Sylla’s sway, when the free sword took leave
    To act all that it would. Ben Jonson, Cataline.

    Thrice happy snake! that in her sleeve
    May boldly creep, we dare not give
    Our thoughts so unconfin’d a leave. Edmund Waller.

    No friend has leave to bear away the dead. Dryden.

    Offended that we fought without his leave,
    He takes this time his secret hate to shew. Dryden.

    One thing more I crave leave to offer about syllogism, before I leave it. John Locke.

    I must have leave to be grateful to any who serves me, let him be never so obnoxious to any party: nor did the tory party put me to the hardship of asking this leave. Alexander Pope.

    Take leave and part, for you must part forthwith. William Shakespeare.

    Evils that take leave,
    On their departure, most of all shew evil. William Shakespeare.

    There is further compliment of leave taking between France and him. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

    Here my father comes;
    A double blessing is a double grace;
    Occasion smiles upon a second leave. William Shakespeare, Hamlet.

    But my dear nothings, take your leave,
    No longer must you me deceive. John Suckling.

    Many stars may be visible in our hemisphere, that are not so at present; and many which are at present shall take leave of our horizon, and appear unto southern habitations. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours, b. iv. c. 13.

  2. To Leaveverb

    pret. I left; I have left.

    A man shall leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife. Gen. ii. 24.

    When they were departed from him, they left him in great diseases. 2 Chron. xxiv. 25.

    If they love lees, and leave the lusty wine,
    Envy them not their palates with the swine. Ben Jonson.

    He that is of an unthankful mind, will leave him in danger that delivered him. Ecclus. xxix. 17.

    There be of them that have left a name behind them. Ecclus. xliv. 8.

    They still have left me the providence of God, and all the promises of the gospel, and my charity to them too. Taylor.

    If it be done without order, the mind comprehendeth less that which is set down; and besides, it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed. Francis Bacon.

    These things must be left uncertain to farther discoveries in future ages. George Abbot, Description of the World.

    Who those are, to whom this right by descent belongs, he leaves out of the reach of any one to discover from his writings. John Locke.

    They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, and left no sustenance for Israel. Judg. vi. 4.

    He shall eat the fruit of thy cattle; which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil. Deut. xxviii. 48.

    Vastius gave strict commandment, that they should leave behind them unnecessary baggage. Richard Knolles, History.

    This I leave with my reader, as an occasion for him to consider, how much he may be beholden to experience. John Locke.

    That peace thou leav’st to thy imperial line,
    That peace, Oh happy shade, be ever thine. Dryden.

    Thou shalt not glean thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger. Lev. xix. 10.

    If a wise man were left to himself, and his own choice, to wish the greatest good to himself he could devise; the sum of all his wishes would be this, That there were just such a being as God is. John Tillotson, Serm. 1.

    Whether Esau were a vassal, I leave the reader to judge. John Locke.

    Let us return, lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. 1 Sam. ix. 5.

    If, upon any occasion, you bid him leave off the doing of any Thing, you must be sure to carry the point. John Locke.

    In proportion as old age came on, he left off fox-hunting. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 115.

    He began to leave off some of his old acquaintance, his roaring and bullying about the streets: he put on a serious air. John Arbuthnot, History of John Bull.

    My good Camillo;
    I am so fraught with curious business, that
    I leave out ceremony. William Shakespeare, Winter’s Tale.

    Shun they to treat with me too?
    No good lady,
    You may partake: I have told ’em who you are.
    I should be loth to be left out, and here too. Ben Jonson.

    What is set down by order and division doth demonstrate, that nothing is left out or omitted, but all is there. Francis Bacon.

    Befriend till utmost end
    Of all thy dues be done, and none left out,
    Ere nice morn on the Indian steep
    From her cabin’d loop-hole peep. John Milton.

    We ask, if those subvert
    Reason’s establish’d maxims, who assert
    That we the world’s existence may conceive,
    Though we one atom out of matter leave. Richard Blackmore.

    I always thought this passage left out with a great deal of judgment, by Tucca and Varius, as it seems to contradict a part in the sixth Æneid. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

  3. To Leaveverb

    To levy; to raise: a corrupt word, made, I believe, by Edmund Spenser, for a rhyme.

    Etymology: from levy; lever, French.

    An army strong she leav’d,
    To war on those which him had of his realm bereav’d. Edmund Spenser, Fairy Queen, b. ii.

  4. To Leaveverb

    She is my essence, and I leave to be,
    If I be not by her fair influence
    Foster’d, illumin’d, cherish’d, kept alive. William Shakespeare.

    And since this business so far fair is done,
    Let us not leave till all our own be won. William Shakespeare, H. IV.

    He began at the eldest, and left at the youngest. Genes.

    Grittus, hoping that they in the castle would not hold out, left off to batter or undermine it, wherewith he perceived he little prevailed. Richard Knolles, Hist. of the Turks.

    But when you find that vigorous heat abate,
    Leave off, and for another summons wait. Wentworth Dillon.

    Wrongs do not leave off there where they begin,
    But still beget new mischiefs in their course. Daniel.

ChatGPT

  1. leave

    Leave generally refers to a period of time when an individual is granted permission to be absent from work, school, or other obligations. It can be taken for various reasons, such as personal or medical needs, vacation, maternity/paternity leave, or bereavement. During leave, individuals are typically not required to fulfill their regular responsibilities or duties and may receive paid or unpaid time off depending on their specific circumstances and policies in place.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Leaveverb

    to send out leaves; to leaf; -- often with out

  2. Leaveverb

    to raise; to levy

  3. Leavenoun

    liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license

  4. Leavenoun

    the act of leaving or departing; a formal parting; a leaving; farewell; adieu; -- used chiefly in the phrase, to take leave, i. e., literally, to take permission to go

  5. Leave

    to withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house

  6. Leave

    to let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed

  7. Leave

    to cease from; to desist from; to abstain from

  8. Leave

    to desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish

  9. Leave

    to let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge

  10. Leave

    to put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to submit -- with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as, leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave the matter to arbitrators

  11. Leave

    to have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy to his niece

  12. Leaveverb

    to depart; to set out

  13. Leaveverb

    to cease; to desist; to leave off

  14. Etymology: [See Levy.]

Wikidata

  1. leave

    Leave is Singaporean Mandopop artist Stefanie Sun's fourth Mandarin studio album. It was released on 21 May 2002 by Warner Music Taiwan. The album features the English and Mandarin version of "一起走到", the theme song of Sing Singapore for the 2002 National Day Parade. The album was awarded one of the Top 10 Selling Mandarin Albums of the Year at the 2002 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards, presented by the Hong Kong branch of IFPI.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Leave

    lēv, n. permission: liberty granted: formal parting of friends: farewell. [A.S. leáf, permission, cog. with leóf, dear. See Lief.]

  2. Leave

    lēv, v.t. to allow to remain: to abandon, resign: to quit or depart from: to have remaining at death: to bequeath: to refer for decision.—v.i. to desist: to cease: to depart:—pr.p. leav′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. left.—Leave alone, to let remain undisturbed; Leave in the dark, to conceal information from; Leave off, to desist, to terminate: to give up using; Leave out, to omit.—Get left (coll.), to be beaten or left behind; Take French leave (see French); Take leave, to assume permission: to part, say farewell. [A.S. lǽfan, to leave a heritage (láf), lifian, to be remaining.]

  3. Leave

    lēv, v.t. (Spens.) to levy, to raise.

  4. Leave

    lēv, v.i. to put out leaves.—adj. Leaved, furnished with leaves: made with folds.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. leave

    Permission to be absent from the ship for the day. (See ABSENCE, LIBERTY.)--French leave. Going on shore without permission.--Long leave. Permission to be absent for a number of days.

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'leave' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #573

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'leave' in Written Corpus Frequency: #333

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'leave' in Nouns Frequency: #1732

  4. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'leave' in Verbs Frequency: #29

How to pronounce leave?

How to say leave in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of leave in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of leave in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of leave in a Sentence

  1. Adisak Wongsukchan:

    I promised the other parents, the five, I will wait and come out together. I'm not going to leave them. We're going to go together.

  2. James Vert:

    I mean, our police will keep us safe, and then we want to defund them. And then where does that leave us now with the problem we got? Look at the crime rates in Seattle right now.

  3. Lori Kraft:

    Your dog or cat is such an important part of your family that so many women wouldn’t leave their abuser because they couldn’t leave their animal behind.

  4. The Queens mom:

    I’ve had to watch my high-school senior spend an entire year at home in isolation while receiving a very limited education, he has been unmotivated and now only talks about wanting to leave NYC.

  5. Kenneth Oliver:

    Youre single-celled for most of the time and every time you leave the cell or are escorted out you have to strip naked and bend over and cough.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

leave#1#1129#10000

Translations for leave

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • verlof, verlaat, erf, gaan vertrekAfrikaans
  • ترك, غادر, غادَرَArabic
  • пакінуць, пакідацьBelarusian
  • оставя, предам, изоставям, напусна, замина, тръгвам, тръгна, оставям, завещавам, завещая, предавам, изоставя, напускам, заминавамBulgarian
  • deixar, sortir, permís, dipositar, partir, comiatCatalan, Valencian
  • nechat, přenechat, zanechat, opustitCzech
  • caniatad, gadawiad, gadael, seibiant, gwyliauWelsh
  • forlade, permission, frihed, efterlade, tilladelse, orlov, afskedDanish
  • Abschied, hinterlassen, verlassen, weggehen, Verlaub, Beurlaubung, zurücklassen, gehen, Erlaubnis, Freistellung, Urlaub, lassenGerman
  • άδεια, αφήνω, φεύγωGreek
  • foriri, ekiriEsperanto
  • partir, despedida, dejar, depositar, irse, permiso, salir, legar, [[salir#SpanishSpanish
  • رفتنPersian
  • jättää, lähteä, vapaaFinnish
  • quitter, [[partir#French, permission, congé, laisser, oublier, partirFrench
  • fág, tiomnaigh, imighIrish
  • falbh, fàgScottish Gaelic
  • deixarGalician
  • עזב, השאירHebrew
  • छोड़नाHindi
  • indul, elindul, elutazikHungarian
  • թողնել, լքելArmenian
  • abandonarInterlingua
  • izin, Cuti, Berangkat, tinggalIndonesian
  • livar, departarIdo
  • partire, permesso, partenza, dimenticare, lasciareItalian
  • 残す, 引き離れる, 出発, 引き離す, 去るJapanese
  • ნებართვაGeorgian
  • 떠나다, 나가다Korean
  • abambulo, decedo, discedo, proficiscor, descisco, desero, lego, pono, colo, egredior, exeō, abeoLatin
  • paliktiLithuanian
  • atstātLatvian
  • wiraMāori
  • verlof, deponeren, overdragen, laten, verlaten, achterlaten, weggaan, nalaten, overlaten, beëindigen, vertrekken, toestemmingDutch
  • tillatelse, etterlate, forlate, løyveNorwegian
  • partir, daissarOccitan
  • zostawić, odejść, urlop, opuścićPolish
  • deixar, sair, licença, afastamento, partida, partir, permissão, saídaPortuguese
  • ripuyQuechua
  • schar, lascher, laschar, partir, parteirRomansh
  • pleca, lăsaRomanian
  • покидать, уходить, бросить, уйти, уезжать, отпуск, оставлять, покинуть, оставить, предоставить, поручить, передавать, передать, поручать, бросать, разрешение, позволение, уехать, побывка, предоставлятьRussian
  • lassai, lassareSardinian
  • zapustiti, oditi, pustitiSlovene
  • lëshojAlbanian
  • tillåtelse, kvar, lämna, lov, ledighet, avsked, kvarlåta, avresaSwedish
  • toka, kuondokaSwahili
  • వెళ్ళిపోTelugu
  • umalísTagalog
  • покинути, покидатиUkrainian
  • چھوڑناUrdu
  • bỏ, rời khỏiVietnamese

Get even more translations for leave »

Translation

Find a translation for the leave definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"leave." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/leave>.

Discuss these leave definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for leave? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    fill with high spirits; fill with optimism
    A famish
    B elate
    C efface
    D affront

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for leave: