sabbatical year

noun

A year of rest for the land observed every seven years in ancient Judea, which included allowing the fields to lie without tilling, sowing, or reaping from one autumn to the next in accordance with a Levitical commandment.

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Meanings

nounsabbatical year (plural sabbatical years)

plural sabbatical years

  1. A year of rest for the land observed every seven years in ancient Judea, which included allowing the fields to lie without tilling, sowing, or reaping from one autumn to the next in accordance with a Levitical commandment.
  2. A leave, often with full or half pay granted (as every seventh year) to one holding an administrative or professional position for rest, travel, or research.

Translations

Catalan any sabàtic
  • any sabàticleave with full or half pay
Chinese Mandarin 學術休假 /学术休假
  • 學術休假 /学术休假leave with full or half pay
Dutch sabbatsjaar, sabbatsjaar
  • sabbatsjaaryear of rest for the land observed every seven years
  • sabbatsjaarleave with full or half pay
  • sabbaticalleave with full or half pay
  • sabbatsperiodeleave with full or half pay
  • sabbatsverlofleave with full or half pay
Finnish sapattivuosi, lepovuosi
  • sapattivuosiyear of rest for the land observed every seven years
  • lepovuosiyear of rest for the land observed every seven years
  • sapattivuosileave with full or half pay
French année sabbatique, congé sabbatique
  • année sabbatiqueyear of rest for the land observed every seven years
  • congé sabbatiqueleave with full or half pay
  • année sabbatiqueleave with full or half pay
Hebrew שמיטה
  • שמיטה (shmita)year of rest for the land observed every seven years
Romanian an sabatic, an sabatic
  • an sabaticyear of rest for the land observed every seven years
  • an sabaticleave with full or half pay
Spanish año sabático
  • año sabáticoleave with full or half pay
Cite this entry
APA

sabbatical year. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sabbatical%20year

MLA

“sabbatical year.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sabbatical%20year. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sabbatical year,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sabbatical%20year.

Source: sabbatical year on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.