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annual leave

AN-yoo-ul leev /ˈænjuəl liːv/

nounB2

formal

A period of paid time off from work granted to an employee each year for vacation or personal reasons.

Specific type of paid leave, usually accrued over time, intended for regular, planned breaks. Often distinct from sick leave or other special leaves.

The story behind the word. This is a compound term. 'Annual' comes from the Latin 'annus', meaning 'year', and 'leave' from the Old English 'lēaf', meaning 'permission'. So, 'annual leave' literally means 'yearly permission' for absence. It refers to the standard, recurring period of paid time off that employees are granted each year, typically for vacation or personal time.

Word relationships

vacation days: More informal, often referring to the same concept.
holiday entitlement: British English term for the same concept.

workdays: Days on which one is expected to work.
duty: Work or tasks required to be performed.

Commonly confused with

PTO: 'Annual leave' is a specific type of leave for vacation; 'PTO' is a combined bank of hours for various reasons.

Collocations

accrue annual leave
take annual leave
request annual leave
unused annual leave

Example sentences

"All full-time employees are entitled to 20 days of annual leave per year." HR policy explanation.
"I'm saving up my annual leave to take a long trip next winter." Planning a trip.

Memory hook

ANNUAL LEAVE: ANNUALLY (every year) you LEAVE work. ANNUAL LEAVE = Yearly vacation.

When not to use

Do not use 'annual leave' for sick days or emergency absences, unless company policy explicitly allows for it to be used flexibly (like PTO).

Fun facts

The amount of annual leave employees receive varies widely by country, with some European nations offering significantly more than the US.

Related words

leave, vacation, PTO

Explore more words

sabbatical, annual, accrue, salary, absenteeism, voluntary departure