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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).

illustration furlough

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