furlough

[ fur-loh ]

noun

1. Military. a vacation or leave of absence granted to an enlisted person.
2. a usually temporary layoff from work:

   Many plant workers have been forced to go on furlough.

3. a temporary leave of absence authorized for a prisoner from a penitentiary.

verb (used with object)

1. to grant a furlough to.
2. to lay (an employee or worker) off from work, usually temporarily.

furlough

/ ˈfɜːləʊ /

noun

1. leave of absence from military duty
2. a temporary laying-off of employees, usually because there is insufficient work to occupy them

verb

1. to grant a furlough to
2. to lay off (staff) temporarily

Other Words From

• pre·furlough noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of furlough¹

First recorded in 1615–25; variant of earlier furloff, furlogh, from Dutch verlof “dismissal, permission to leave,” appparently from Middle Low German vorlōf, noun derivative of vorlöven “to permit (to leave),” blend of vor- for- and erlöven “to allow, permit” ( a- ³( def ), leave ²( def ) ); cognate with German erlauben, verlauben, Gothic uslaubjan, Old English ālīefan “to allow, permit”; current pronunciation by association with dough, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of furlough¹

C17: from Dutch verlof , from ver- for- + lof leave, permission; related to Swedish förlof

Example Sentences

AllHere’s website was active as of Tuesday night, but the contact page notes that “due to our current financial position, the Board furloughed the majority of the company’s employees on June 14, 2024.”

From Los Angeles Times

Thousands of other staff are already on a rolling furlough due to the strike, which has also hit suppliers.

From BBC

Scott, who was once a scratch golfer, set up the business selling golf accessories during the pandemic while on furlough.

From BBC

"Next week, your leadership team will share more tailored information about what this means for your organization," he said, adding that it will not proceed with the next cycle of furloughs.

From BBC

It has also said that US-based executives, managers and staff would be asked to take one week of furlough every four weeks for as long as the walkout lasts.

From BBC

Furlough Vs. Layoff

What’s the difference between furlough and layoff?

A furlough is a temporary release of a worker from their job, typically with the expectation that they will be asked to return. A layoff is usually a permanent removal from a job.

Both words can also be used as verbs. An organization can furlough employees or lay off employees. The adjective forms are furloughed and laid off. 

A furlough typically involves an employer requiring an employee to stop working for a period of time during which they will not get paid—though furloughed workers sometimes keep their benefits, such as health insurance. Furloughs can happen during government shutdowns or when a company does not need certain employees for a certain period of time but expects to need them back after that period ends.

The word layoff is typically used in the context of a company permanently letting go workers due to economic reasons (such as not being able to afford to pay them) as opposed to performance reasons (employees let go for poor performance are typically said to have been fired).

Here’s an example of furlough and layoff used correctly in a sentence.

Example: A furlough is not ideal, but at least it’s temporary—the company is doing it to avoid layoffs.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between furlough and layoff.

Quiz yourself on furlough vs. layoff!

Should furlough or layoff be used in the following sentence?

The company ordered a one-month _____ of its employees during the closure.