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Glite Dictionary
compassionate leave

compassionate leave

1 3.5
Time away from work given so a worker can deal with a serious family illness or death
  • noun
  • /kəmˈpæʃənɪt liːv/
  • Formal
translation icon : permiso por compasión
  • After her grandmother passed away, Maria requested compassionate leave from work to attend the funeral.

Examples

  • Compassionate leave, death in the family.

    Escape to Victory (1981)

  • The most common form of support offered was flexible working arrangements (68%), followed by compassionate leave (53%) and (paid or unpaid) carers' leave (48%).

    Academic text (2014)

  • The worried son applied for and at once got three weeks' compassionate leave and flew back to Chile.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Sixteen hours compassionate leave.

    Beyond the Rave (2008)

  • You're on compassionate leave.

    Blitz (2011)

  • (pause) Jack, you’re ordered to take compassionate leave.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The company has a policy that allows employees to take compassionate leave during times of family crisis.

  • John was granted compassionate leave to care for his sick brother for two weeks.

Synonyms

leave
vscompassionate leave
  • Formal
443 3.8

Official permission to be absent from work or duty

is specifically for urgent family emergencies, not general permission to be away
time off
vscompassionate leave
160 1.6

A time when you are not working, often to rest or recover

is meant for urgent family emergencies rather than routine rest or holidays
leave of absence
vscompassionate leave
  • Formal
38 3.9

A period when someone is officially allowed to be away from work or school

is granted only for emergencies involving family illness or death
family leave
vscompassionate leave
12 2.7

Time away from work to care for family members after a birth, adoption, or when they are ill

is used for urgent family illness or death rather than planned events

How Long

leave of absence
  • Formal
38 3.9
compassionate leave
  • Formal
1 3.5
time off
160 1.6

Surface Forms

compassionate leave singular
compassionate leaves plural

Morphology

compassionate + leave

The meaning is directly and transparently derivable from 'compassionate' (showing pity or care) + 'leave' (authorized absence): it denotes leave granted for compassionate reasons such as a family illness or death. The construction follows normal English compounding of adjective + noun and matches comparable phrases in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the general sense. While the precise HR/legal parameters might be unfamiliar, the core meaning is predictable from the constituents.

Etymology

Compassionate leave comes from the idea that a boss or company shows 'compassion' by giving an employee leave, or time off, when something serious happens in their family. So, compassionate leave means time away from work to deal with a family emergency like illness or death.