noun · formal
sabbatical
/səˈbætɪkəl/sa·BAT·ti·cal
a period of paid leave granted to a worker, often to study or travel, typically after several years of service
Examples
“After ten years of teaching she took a sabbatical to complete her book.”
“Universities commonly offer faculty a sabbatical for research.”
“Companies sometimes offer sabbaticals as an employee benefit to reduce burnout.”
Band 8 sentence
“To foster innovation, the university instituted a paid sabbatical scheme allowing academics to pursue long-term research projects.”
Collocations
- take a sabbatical
- sabbatical leave
- paid sabbatical
Word family
Common mistakes
I want a sabbatical this summer.→I want to take a sabbatical next year after completing two more years' service.
She is on sabbatical for two weeks.→She is on sabbatical for two months.
Say it for a higher band
5leave→6holiday→7+sabbatical
Synonyms
leave
study leave
Easily confused
leave
“He applied for leave to care for his newborn child.”
holiday
“They went on holiday to the coast for a week.”
Related words
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In Work & Career
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