WordGarden.ioleave
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /lˈiːv/
US
- /ˈliv/
Meanings
Verb
to go away from or depart from a place
to let something stay where it is or remain in a particular state
to abandon someone or stop being with or involved in something
More meaningsFewer meanings
to give property or money to someone in a will
Noun
authorized time away from work or other formal duties
Beyond the definition
To leave most often means to go away from a place, person, or situation. You might leave home for work, leave a party early, or leave a room when the meeting ends. It can also mean to put something somewhere and go away, like leaving your keys on the table, or to not take someone or something with you, like leaving a bag on the bus. In everyday English, it can also mean to stop a job, relationship, or activity, and it is often used when you leave a message for someone. In some contexts, it means giving something to someone after death in a will.
The word leave is very flexible, but the main idea is simple: someone or something goes away, or stays behind while you go. You see this basic sense in everyday moments: people leave home in the morning, leave the office at night, leave a concert early, or leave a city by train or plane.
From there, the meaning spreads in a natural way. If you leave your phone at home, you go away without it. If you leave the door open, you let it stay that way. If you leave a child with a relative, you place the child in that person's care and then go. This is why the word is also common when talking about things that remain in a certain condition: you can leave food in the fridge, leave a question unanswered, or leave work unfinished.
The word also works in several important extended senses. You can leave a job, a school, or a relationship, meaning you stop being part of it. You can leave a message, meaning you give information for someone to receive later. You can leave money or property to a person, meaning they receive it after your death through a will. In more formal usage, leave can also be a noun meaning permission or time away from duty, as in "sick leave" or "parental leave."
So the word can describe departure, not taking something with you, letting something stay as it is, ending your connection with a place or activity, passing property on after death, or taking approved time away from work. All of these uses grow from the same core picture: one thing moves on, and another thing stays behind.
Examples
- 1
Departure
We need to leave in ten minutes.
- 2
Forgotten item
She left her keys on the kitchen table.
- 3
Resulting state
Don't leave the door open.
- 4
Education
He left school at sixteen and started working.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Travel
My train leaves for Chicago at 8:20.
- Patternleave for + place
start a journey to that place
- 6
Phone message
I left a message, but she hasn't called back.
- 7
Forms
You can leave the last question blank if you don't know the answer.
- 8
Result after event
The accident left him with a broken arm.
- Patternleave someone with + result
cause them to have it afterward
- 9
Personal space
Please leave me alone while I finish this.
- Phraseleave someone alone
stop bothering them or let them be by themselves
- 10
Omitted detail
They left out the most important detail.
- Phraseleave out
not include
- 11
Delegating decision
I'll leave the final decision to you.
- Patternleave X to Y
let Y decide or handle X
- 12
Work absence
She asked for two weeks' leave after the baby was born.
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- leavenounverb
Forms
- leftpast tensepast participleverbnoun
- leaving-ing formverbnoun
- leavespluralnounverb