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leave

v. · n.
US //ˈɫiv// UK //lˈiːv// leave
Irregular verb past left past participle left
  1. 1 to go away (v.)
    A1 Beginner

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    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'.

  2. 2 to let stay (v.)
    A2 Elementary

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    The investigators requested that the staff leave the documents exactly where they found them to avoid contaminating the evidence.
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  1. 3 to give after death (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    In her final testament, she chose to leave the bulk of her estate to a local charity dedicated to environmental conservation.
  2. 4 time off work (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    The officer requested a fortnight of compassionate leave to attend to urgent family matters in his home country.
  3. 5 permission (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Law

    formal permission to do something.

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

    Example

    The judge granted the lawyer leave to appeal the decision.

    Example

    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'.
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

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”).

Etymology 4

From Middle English leven, from lef (“leaf”). More at leaf.

Etymology 5

From French lever. Compare levy. Compare also Middle English leve, a variant of levy that may have been monosyllabic.

Idioms37 entries

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