noun

furlough

FUR-loh

noun

An authorized leave of absence, especially for military personnel or employees.

"The soldier used his furlough to visit his family before deployment."

"Thousands of workers were placed on furlough during the shutdown."

verb

To place an employee on temporary unpaid leave, often to cut costs.

"The airline furloughed hundreds of staff during the slowdown."

How to Use Furlough

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA temporary, often unpaid, leave from work or duty, or the act of putting someone on that leave.

Common pairings

on furlough furlough scheme furloughed workers

furloughed past tense, furloughs plural, Furloughs plural, furloughs singular

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The soldier used his _____ to visit his family before deployment.

From Dutch verlof ("furlough, permission"), related to German Verlaub — ultimately the same root family as the English word "leave."

cough rough dough bough tough enough though plough slough trough clough through