Furlough — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈfər-(ˌ)lō/ fur·lough

Meaning & Definition of Furlough

Furlough (noun)

  1. a leave of absence granted to a governmental or institutional employee (such as a soldier or civil servant); 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
  3. a set period of time when a prisoner is allowed to leave a prison

Furlough (verb)

  1. to grant a leave of absence or furlough to (someone)
  2. to put (a worker) on furlough, to lay off (a worker) for usually a brief or temporary period

Furlough (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily

    "the landscaping company usually has to put most of its personnel on furlough during the extremely slow winter months"

    similar: ax, discharge, dismissal, layoff, redundancy (chiefly British)
    related: pink slip, bird (chiefly British), boot, bum's rush, downsizing, firing, heave-ho, sack, closing, shutdown, shakeout, shake-up
    near: callback, recall, reemployment, rehire, rehiring

Furlough (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in downsize, trim

    similar: downsize, excess, lay off, trim, ax, bounce, can, cashier, discharge, dismiss, fire, muster out, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, sack, terminate, turn off, boot (out), chuck (out), drum (out), kick out, throw out, unseat, separate
    opposite: employ, engage, hire, retain, sign (up or on), take on, keep, reemploy, rehire, contract, subcontract, recruit

  2. as in truant, goldbrick

    similar: goldbrick, malinger, truant, bum, chill, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), hang about (British), idle, kick around, kick back, laze, lazy, loaf, loll, lounge, veg out, fiddle (around), fool, mess, monkey, muck, piddle, play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, doze, estivate, hibernate, lag, linger, loiter, poke, relax, rest, tarry, amble, mosey, saunter, stroll, swan, deceive, fake, feign
    opposite: drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down), exert, put out

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Furlough

The most common words with a similar meaning to Furlough:

Chiefly British: redundancy
British: hang about
ax, discharge, dismissal, layoff, downsize, excess, lay off, trim, bounce, can, cashier, dismiss, fire, muster out, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, sack, terminate, turn off, boot (out), chuck (out), drum (out), kick out, throw out, unseat, separate, goldbrick, malinger, truant, bum, chill, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around)

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Furlough

Words with the opposite meaning of Furlough:

employ, engage, hire, retain, sign (up or on), take on, keep, reemploy, rehire, contract, subcontract, recruit, drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down)

Related Words for Furlough

pink slip, bird, boot, bum's rush, downsizing, firing, heave-ho, closing, shutdown, shakeout, shake-up

Near Antonyms of Furlough

callback, recall, reemployment, rehiring

Word Forms of Furlough

Inflections: furloughed, furloughing, furloughs

Origin & Etymology of Furlough

Dutch verlof, literally, permission, from Middle Dutch, from ver- for- + lof permission; akin to Middle High German loube permission for-, leave

First known use: 1631

Words & Phrases Containing Furlough

on furlough

Frequently Asked Questions about Furlough

What does "Furlough" mean?

"Furlough" means a leave of absence granted to a governmental or institutional employee (such as a soldier or civil servant); also, a document authorizing such a leave of absence. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a leave of absence granted to a governmental or institutional employee (such as a soldier or civil servant); also, a document authorizing such a leave of absence. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Furlough"?

Other words for "Furlough" include ax, discharge, dismissal, layoff, redundancy, downsize, excess and lay off. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Furlough" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Furlough"?

There are 91 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Furlough". Common alternatives include ax, discharge, dismissal, layoff, redundancy, downsize, excess, lay off, trim and bounce.

What is the opposite of "Furlough"?

Antonyms of "Furlough" include employ, engage, hire, retain, sign (up or on), take on, keep and reemploy. Near antonyms include callback, recall, reemployment and rehiring.

How do you use "Furlough" in a sentence?

Examples of "Furlough" in a sentence: "the landscaping company usually has to put most of its personnel on furlough during the extremely slow winter months".

Is "Furlough" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Furlough" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Furlough"?

"Furlough" is pronounced /ˈfər-(ˌ)lō/ and divided into syllables as fur·lough.

What is the origin of the word "Furlough"?

"Furlough" comes from Dutch verlof, literally, permission, from Middle Dutch, from ver- for- + lof permission; akin to Middle High German loube permission for-, leave. First known use: 1631.