furlough
[/ˈfərlō/]
Part of speech: noun/verb
Origin: Dutch
1.
A leave of absence, especially for military members
2.
A temporary layoff of employees
Examples of furlough in a sentence
"Many soldiers visit their families while on furlough."
"During the government shutdown, employees deemed nonessential were furloughed."
About furlough
The word furlough has a few overlapping meanings. In regard to the military, it means extended time away for service members to visit home; in most other industries, it refers to temporary layoffs. Either way, the same core meaning is the same: time away from work.
Did you Know?
Furloughs can also apply to prisoners, as some inmates are only incarcerated during the weekend (or vice versa).