Verb

to leave (third-person singular simple present leaves, present participle leaving, simple past and past participle left)

1. (transitive) To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.

   I left my car at home and took a bus to work.

   The ants did not leave so much as a crumb of bread.

   There's not much food left, we'd better go to the shops.

2. (transitive) To transfer possession of after death.

   When my father died, he left me the house.

3. (transitive) To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit.

   I'll leave the car in the station so you can pick it up there.

4. (transitive) To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.

   Can't we just leave this to the experts?

5. (transitive) To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.

   I left the country and I left my wife.

6. (transitive) To end one's membership in (a group); to terminate one's affiliation with (an organization); to stop participating in (a project).

   I left the band.

7. (intransitive) To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.

   I think you'd better leave.

8. (intransitive, obsolete) To remain (behind); to stay.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VII:

     And by myssefortune Sir Bors smote Sir Launcelot thorow the shylde into the syde, and the speare brake and the hede leffte stylle in the syde.

Synonyms

• (to end one's connection with): depart, forget, leave behind

Derived terms

• beleave
• forleave
• leave behind
• leave for dead
• leave hanging
• leave somebody high and dry
• leave holding the bag

• leave no stone unturned
• leave off
• leave out
• leave in the lurch
• leave well enough alone
• not leave one's thought
• up and leave

Leave may refer to:

• Leave (military), a period of time in which a soldier is allowed to be away from his or her assigned unit
• "Leave!", a 2009 soul song
• Leave (album), a 2002 Mandopop album
• "Leave (Get Out)", a 2004 R&B song
• "Leave" (Lula and Bela B. song), a 2000 pop rock song
• "Leave" (R.E.M. song), a 1996 alternative rock song
• "Leave" (Sertab Erener song), a 2004 pop song
• Leave of absence, a period of time that one is to be away from one's primary job while maintaining the status of employee