abbatical
n.n. a period of time when a teacher or researcher is away from their job to study or travel. It is usually a paid leave of absence for a year.
n. a period of leave from a teaching or research position, typically for a year, granted for the purpose of study or travel.
She is taking an abbatical to finish her book.
The university granted him an abbatical so he could spend a year studying ancient manuscripts in Europe.
While many institutions offer sabbaticals to senior faculty, the term abbatical is more frequently used in the humanities to describe a structured period of academic retreat.
From the stem of Latin abbās + -ical.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 18, 2026