fur·lough
ˈfər-(ˌ)lō 
1
: a leave of absence granted to a governmental or institutional employee (such as a soldier or civil servant)
The Army began furloughs in September as so-called 'sanity checks' for soldiers whose tour has stretched to nearly a year.—
Jenny Deam
Jenny Deam
also
: a document authorizing such a leave of absence
2
: a temporary leave from work that is not paid and is often for a set period of time
One possible way to avoid layoffs is through furloughs—making workers take an unpaid leave of absence …—Paul B. Brown
Paul B. Brown3
: a set period of time when a prisoner is allowed to leave a prison
Those probation officers are then able to monitor criminals serving their sentences in work camps or on furlough rather than in jail as a way of relieving overcrowding.—Richard Willing
Richard Willing
furloughed; furloughing; furloughs
1
: to grant a leave of absence or furlough to (someone)
a soldier being furloughed
a furloughed prisoner
2
: to put (a worker) on furlough : to lay off (a worker) for usually a brief or temporary period
… other airlines are placing pressure on the unionized pilots to take large salary cuts—at least those pilots who haven't already been "furloughed" (the word pilots use instead of the more plebeian "laid off").—George Hopkins
George HopkinsAlthough no one could supply exact figures, sources in Washington, D.C., said nearly 500,000 federal workers were furloughed for all or part of Thursday. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach area about 11,000 of the 40,000 federal workers were sent home because of the operating fund impasse in Congress.—Jerry Belcher
Jerry BelcherSynonyms
Examples of furlough in a Sentence
Noun
Each employee will have a one-day furlough every month.
the landscaping company usually has to put most of its personnel on furlough during the extremely slow winter months
Verb
The company will consider furloughing a small number of workers.
Recent Examples on the WebAlex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2024
During the pandemic, airlines initially used layoffs, furloughs, and buyouts to reduce staff – and then had a difficult time hiring when travel bounced back.
—Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2024
Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2024
The Senate also passed a one-week extension that would give the House time to pass the bill while ensuring the FAA isn't forced to furlough around 3,600 employees.
—CBS News, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for furlough 
Noun
While cooperating with federal prosecutors, Francis was diagnosed with renal cancer, and Sammartino released him from custody on a medical furlough.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2024
During the pandemic, airlines initially used layoffs, furloughs, and buyouts to reduce staff – and then had a difficult time hiring when travel bounced back.
—Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2024
Verb
But Mosby continued to earn her $250,000 annual salary throughout the pandemic even as state employees serving under her were furloughed.
—Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2024
The Senate also passed a one-week extension that would give the House time to pass the bill while ensuring the FAA isn't forced to furlough around 3,600 employees.
—CBS News, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for furlough
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'furlough.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Furlough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furlough. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
furlough
1 of 2 noun
fur·lough
ˈfər-lō
: a leave of absence from duty granted especially to a soldier
furlough
2 of 2 verb1
: to grant a furlough to
2
: to lay off from work
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