noun

PTO

pee-tee-OH

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PTO (noun) means Paid time off: leave from work that an employer still pays for, often held as a single pooled allowance covering holiday, sick days and personal days. Example: “I've got six days of PTO left before the year ends.”

noun

Paid time off: leave from work that an employer still pays for, often held as a single pooled allowance covering holiday, sick days and personal days.

"I've got six days of PTO left before the year ends."

"She put in a PTO request for the week of the wedding."

Power take-off: a shaft or coupling that transfers engine power from a vehicle, usually a tractor, to attached machinery.

"Never approach the PTO shaft while the engine is running."

Parent-teacher organisation: a voluntary body of parents and staff that supports a school, chiefly through fundraising and events.

"The PTO raised enough for a new set of library books."

abbreviation

Please turn over: written at the foot of a page to show that the text continues on the other side.

"The form ended with a small PTO in the corner."

How to use PTO

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDays off work that you still get paid for.

When to use it

The paid-time-off sense is standard American workplace English; British employers say annual leave or holiday. 'Please turn over' is chiefly British and now old-fashioned.

Memory tip

In US job listings, PTO almost always means paid time off; on a farm or in a manual, it means the power take-off shaft.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

PTA → vacation → sick leave FMLA

Common pairings

accrue PTO request PTO unlimited PTO PTO balance PTO policy PTO shaft

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “PTO” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

I've got six days of _____ left before the year ends.

Etymology

An initialism, standing variously for paid time off, power take-off, parent-teacher organisation or please turn over.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

paid leave annual leave holiday entitlement vacation days PTA

Related words

vacation PTA

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between PTO and vacation days?

Traditional systems give separate buckets — so many vacation days, so many sick days, so many personal days. PTO merges them into one pool you draw on for any reason, which gives more flexibility but means a bout of flu eats into the same allowance as your holiday.

What is unlimited PTO?

Unlimited PTO removes the fixed allowance and lets employees take leave as needed with manager approval. Studies repeatedly find people take less time off under it, partly because there is no accrued balance to lose and no clear norm for how much is acceptable.

What is the difference between a PTO and a PTA?

Both are parent-and-school groups. A PTA is affiliated to a national parent-teacher association with dues and shared rules, while a PTO is an independent organisation set up by a single school, free to run its own way and keep all the money it raises.

What is the meaning of PTO?

"PTO" (noun) means paid time off: leave from work that an employer still pays for, often held as a single pooled allowance covering holiday, sick days and personal days.

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