leave
verb (transitive)
UKliːvUSliːv
To go away from or depart a place or person; to allow or cause to remain behind.
Example Sentences
I always leave home at eight in the morning.
Please leave the door open when you go out.
He didn't want to leave his family behind.
They decided to leave the party early because it was too crowded.
We should leave now if we want to arrive on time.
After much consideration, the board agreed to leave the matter until next month.
She realized that in order to pursue her dream career abroad, she would have to leave her comfortable life behind and face uncertain challenges in a new country.
Although he had grown fond of the little town and formed close friendships there, his desire for personal growth ultimately compelled him to leave and embark on a journey of self-discovery.
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Antonyms
noun (uncountable)
UKliːvUSliːv
A period of permitted absence from work or duty.
Example Sentences
He requested two weeks of leave to spend time with his family.
All employees are entitled to paid leave after completing one year of service.
Her leave of absence was approved by the manager.
They granted him compassionate leave to attend to the family emergency.
She decided to take maternity leave when she neared her due date.
As soon as he returned from leave, he was assigned a new project.
Extended leave can provide employees with valuable time for rest and personal development, allowing them to return to work with renewed energy and motivation.
During her sabbatical leave, she traveled across multiple continents, studied different cultures, and engaged in various volunteer programs that enriched her perspective on life.
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How to Use
Indicates departing a location or allowing something to remain behind.“Leave” is a versatile verb. Most commonly, it means to go away from or depart a location, such as “I will leave the office at 5 p.m.” or “She decided to leave home for college.” In these sentences, “leave” highlights someone’s departure from a given place. You can also use “leave” when instructing someone not to remove or disturb something: “Leave the papers on my desk.” This shifts the focus to letting items remain in their current position.As you speak or write, pay attention to verb tenses for clarity: “I leave” (present), “I left” (simple past), “I have left” (present perfect). You might use phrasal forms like “leave behind,” signifying that something (or someone) is no longer accompanying you, or “leave off,” meaning to stop or discontinue. When used reflexively, it can describe how long someone will be away—e.g., “I’m leaving for the weekend.” Whether describing a physical departure, a time-bound absence, or instructing others not to move something, “leave” shapes how you communicate movement and possession.
Alternatives
Synonyms vary depending on how you mean “leave.” If you’re departing, words like “depart,” “exit,” or “go away” capture the physical movement. For expressing that something remains in place, you might say “keep,” “leave as is,” or “leave in place.” If you mean to skip or omit, you can use “omit,” “exclude,” or “leave out,” especially in instructions (e.g., “Leave out this detail if you’re short on space”). For more formal contexts, “vacate” may replace “leave” to describe leaving a property or position.If you want to stress finality or an emotional aspect, “abandon” conveys a more dramatic or permanent departure—like “He abandoned his old ways.” Meanwhile, “withdraw” or “retire” highlight a retreat or formal stepping back. In casual talk, “head out,” “take off,” or “bounce” are informal ways to say “leave.” Each alternative can adjust the tone, from polite or official (“depart,” “vacate”) to casual or even slang (“scram,” “split”). Choose what best fits the setting, intent, or emotional level of your message.
Writing
When writing about the verb “leave,” clarify who is leaving and from where or what is being left behind. For instance, “He left the meeting abruptly” sets a more dramatic tone than “He left the meeting slightly early.” If you’re working on a narrative, you can reveal a character’s feelings through how they leave: “She slipped out quietly” vs. “She stormed out, slamming the door.” This distinction impacts how readers perceive a character’s emotional state.In instructions or procedural documents, precision matters. You might specify, “Leave the pie in the oven for another 10 minutes,” explaining exactly how the item or situation remains untouched. In academic or professional writing, synonyms like “depart” or “omit” may fit better in formal contexts. Overusing “leave” can feel repetitive, so consider mixing in those synonyms when appropriate. Also note that “leave” can inform an ongoing timeline—“I will leave tomorrow” or “The team will leave after finalizing the report”—helping readers see a sequence of events. By pairing “leave” with time markers or conditions, you keep your text organized and clear.
Casual Conversation
In day-to-day conversation, “leave” is straightforward. You might say, “I’m leaving now,” or “I’ll leave you to it,” signaling that you’re stepping away from a task or letting someone continue on their own. It’s also common to hear, “Leave it alone,” advising that no action be taken. When meeting up with friends, phrases like “Let’s leave in five minutes” or “We should leave before traffic gets bad” help coordinate timing.If a friend is overthinking a situation, you might tell them, “Leave it be,” suggesting not to worry or interfere further. In texting, “I’ll leave soon” or “Don’t leave without me!” are everyday uses. “Leave” also forms part of easy idioms—“leave someone in the dark” (not informing them) or “leave off” (stop at a point in a task). Casual usage typically focuses on short statements or instructions around departure, timing, or not touching something. It’s direct, functional, and widely understood.
Etymology
The English word “leave” roots back to Old English “lǣfan,” which originally carried meanings of “let remain, bequeath, or allow.” Over time, English differentiated between letting something stay in place and physically departing, but both ideas share the sense of separating something from its current state or location. Germanic language relatives similarly use words for leaving that suggest both departure and the act of leaving items behind. With the medieval shifts in spelling and grammar, “leave” came to firmly encapsulate two core notions: departing from a location and allowing something to remain unchanged. Over centuries, it maintained wide usage in personal, legal, and administrative contexts. For example, “leave” appears in older legal documents concerning inheritance (like “leaving property” to heirs) as well as everyday speech (“leave the house,” “leave that alone”). Modern usage still holds the original threads—whether you’re talking about physically stepping away, not altering a situation, or granting permission for something to remain. This dual function underscores “leave” as one of English’s more flexible verbs, bridging historical meaning with present-day practicality.
