What does "leave" mean?

1. (to go away) to go away from a place, person, or situation. 2. (to let stay) to let something stay in a place or in a certain condition. 3. (to give after death) to give something to someone in a will after you die. 4. (time off work) time when you are allowed to be away from your job or the military. 5. (permission) formal permission to do something.

leave — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "I am leaving to London tomorrow."?

No — say "I am leaving for London tomorrow.". Use 'for' to indicate the destination when using the verb 'leave'.

Word

Infinitive

leave

Past

left

Past participle

left

01to go away

A1 · Beginner

v. to go away from a place, person, or situation.

v. to depart from a location, person, or state. Often used intransitively or with a direct object.

“We need to leave the house by eight o'clock to catch the train.”

“The delegation decided to leave the conference early after negotiations reached a definitive stalemate.”

Pitfall

I am leaving to London tomorrow.

I am leaving for London tomorrow.

Use 'for' to indicate the destination when using the verb 'leave'.

Synonyms

depart exit quit

Antonyms

arrive stay remain

02to let stay

A2 · Elementary

v. to let something stay in a place or in a certain condition.

v. to allow something to remain in a specific state, location, or condition without changing or removing it.

“Please leave the window open to let some fresh air into the room.”

“The investigators requested that the staff leave the documents exactly where they found them to avoid contaminating the evidence.”

Synonyms

abandon forget keep

Antonyms

change remove

03to give after death

B2 · Upper Intermediate Law

v. to give something to someone in a will after you die.

v. to bequeath property or assets to a beneficiary through a legal will.

“My grandfather decided to leave his old watch to my brother.”

“In her final testament, she chose to leave the bulk of her estate to a local charity dedicated to environmental conservation.”

Synonyms

bequeathwillendow

04time off work

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. time when you are allowed to be away from your job or the military.

n. authorised period of absence from duty or employment. Often used in military or professional contexts.

“She is currently on maternity leave and will return to the office in June.”

“The officer requested a fortnight of compassionate leave to attend to urgent family matters in his home country.”

Synonyms

furlough holiday vacation

Antonyms

duty

05permission

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Formal

n. formal permission to do something.

n. formal or official permission to perform an action. Often found in the phrase 'leave of the court'.

“The judge granted the lawyer leave to appeal the decision.”

“The petitioner sought leave of the court to introduce new witness testimony that had recently come to light.”

Usage

Commonly used in the idiom 'take one's leave' or 'by your leave'.

Synonyms

permission consent authorisation

Antonyms

prohibition refusal

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “leave” in context.

Verb

01. leave a lasting impression

“The candidate's confidence during the interview really left a lasting impression on the panel.”

verb + adj + noun

02. leave a message for a colleague

“I had to leave a message for a colleague because she was in a meeting all afternoon.”

verb + noun + prep + noun

03. leave the door open

“Please don't leave the door open, as the heating is currently turned on.”

verb + noun + adj

04. leave the office early

“She decided to leave the office early to beat the rush hour traffic.”

verb + noun + adv

Noun

05. sick leave

“He has been on sick leave for two weeks following his minor surgery.”

noun + noun

06. parental leave

“The company offers generous parental leave for both mothers and fathers.”

adj + noun

07. leave of absence

“The professor took a year-long leave of absence to conduct research in South America.”

noun + of + noun

Preposition

08. on leave

“Our manager is currently on leave, so please direct your questions to his assistant.”

prep + noun

“Other countries are carrying out a slightly different trial in which the captain of the keeper's team must always leave the field.”

BBC News 14 Aug 2026

“Young people have said a lack of career opportunities are forcing them to think about leaving home.”

BBC News 13 Aug 2026

“The Medical Officer Health Report shows 36% of young people are certain they will leave the island.”

BBC News 12 Aug 2026

“Some days he has not even been able to leave his home - he previously lived in a sixth-floor flat and the heat caused the lift to break down.”

BBC News 11 Aug 2026

From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-West Germanic laibijan, from Proto-Germanic laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of lībaną (“to stay, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European leyp- (“to stick; fat”). Cognate with Old Frisian lēva (“to leave”), Old Saxon lēvian, Old High German leiban (“to leave”), Old Norse leifa (“to leave over”) (whence Icelandic leifa (“to leave food uneaten”), Swedish leva (“to leave”)), lifna (“to be left”) (whence Danish levne). More at lave, belive. The noun is attested since the 19th century, with earliest references to billiards.

From Middle English leve, from Old English lēaf (“permission, privilege”), from Proto-Germanic laubō, laubą (“permission, privilege, favour, worth”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, hold dear”). Cognate with obsolete German Laube (“permission”), Swedish lov (“permission”), Icelandic leyfi (“permission”). Related to Dutch verlof, German Urlaub, Erlaubnis, Verlaub. See also love.

From Middle English leven, from Old English līefan (“to allow, grant, concede; believe, trust, confide in”), from Proto-West Germanic laubijan, from Proto-Germanic laubijaną (“to allow, praise”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, hold dear”). Cognate with German erlauben (“to allow”), German glauben (“to believe”), Icelandic leyfa (“to allow”).