sabbatical

1 of 2

adjective

sab·​bat·​i·​cal sə-ˈba-ti-kəl How to pronounce sabbatical (audio)
variants or less commonly sabbatic
1
: of or relating to a sabbatical year
2
: of or relating to the sabbath
sabbatical laws

sabbatical

2 of 2

noun

1
2
3
: a break or change from a normal routine (as of employment)

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The History of Sabbatical and Sabbath: Take a Break

We tend to think of sabbatical in academic terms, as a school year free from teaching duties that can be devoted to research, travel, and writing. Traditionally, this occurs every seventh year. Because of this scholarly context, we may easily miss what is hiding in plain sight: that sabbatical is related to Sabbath, which refers to the Biblical day of rest, or the seventh day. We trace the origins of both sabbatical and Sabbath to the Greek word sabbaton. Sabbaton itself traces to the Hebrew word shabbāth, meaning “rest.”

The Old Testament refers to God’s “day of rest” most famously in Genesis, but Sabbath referring to an entire year of rest is mentioned in Leviticus (25:3-5):

Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.

Sabbatical is also used as an adjective to refer specifically to the rules governing the observance of the Sabbath, as in “sabbatical laws.”

Examples of sabbatical in a Sentence

Noun Several professors will be taking sabbaticals this year. She recently returned to work after a two-year sabbatical from her acting career. Several professors will be on sabbatical this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
On a summer sabbatical from the restaurant at a South Korean Buddhist temple, Uh met Mina Park. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024 That might mean taking a sabbatical or an extended summer break or a workcation. Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 For example, someone might start in a corporate marketing role, shift to a nonprofit organization, then take a sabbatical to learn coding, and subsequently move into a tech startup. Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 At the time of her leave, neither McCoy nor General Hospital revealed a reason for McCoy’s sabbatical. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 29 Jan. 2024 The role was previously supposed to be played by Samantha Ruth Prabhu who is now taking a year’s sabbatical due to health reasons. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Jan. 2024 After leaving the Taper in the mid-1980s, Brecher took a sabbatical in Paris before moving to Boston to lead the Boston Children’s Museum. Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2023 By Sam Reed However, the pop star's latest social media sabbatical didn't last long. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 9 Dec. 2023 MacKinnon is on a sabbatical, which is meant to be a period of rest and reflection. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023
Noun
If your company does not offer this option, consider designing a sabbatical for yourself. Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2024 Use that bigger salary to fund weekend sabbaticals to the city of your dreams — and reciprocate when your bride cooks up a girls’ weekend. Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2024 Companies offer sabbaticals as a reward for service and as an understanding that people need breaks in their lives. Holly Corbett, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 After having one of the most successful careers in Formula 1 history—earning 15 wins, 50 podium finishes and a 2009 World Championship—and then taking a turn at the Super GT series, Jenson Button returned to the Nascar driver’s seat over the summer after taking a sabbatical. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 30 Nov. 2023 These sabbaticals involve doing nothing but intentional rest for one to two weeks, prioritizing the need to recharge and rejuvenate. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 10 Nov. 2023 As a result, many quit their jobs in May of 2023 and opted for wellness sabbaticals to cure their burnout. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 28 Nov. 2023 Katie Jackson is a freelance writer who pays her mortgage in Montana but takes regular sabbaticals to go surfing in Portugal, cycling in Thailand, and hiking in South Africa. Katie Jackson, Outside Online, 18 Apr. 2023 The following strategies—from wellness sabbaticals to bed rotting—helped to put outdated grind culture on the back burner, in favor of achieving personal fulfillment instead. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 10 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sabbatical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin sabbaticus, from Greek sabbatikos, from sabbaton

First Known Use

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sabbatical was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near sabbatical

Cite this Entry

“Sabbatical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sabbatical. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sabbatical

adjective
sab·​bat·​i·​cal
sə-ˈbat-i-kəl
variants or sabbatic
-ˈbat-ik
1
: of or relating to the Sabbath
sabbatical laws
2
: of or relating to a leave granted usually every seventh year (as to a professor) for rest, travel, or research
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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