Holiday vs. Leave — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 3, 2024
Holidays are days set aside by custom or law on which normal activities, especially business or work, are suspended, while leave refers to time off from work granted by employers, often for personal reasons.
Difference Between Holiday and Leave
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A holiday is typically a specific day celebrated by a community, nation, or culture, often marked by public and social rituals or traditions. On the other hand, leave is a period granted by an employer where an employee is allowed to be away from work for various reasons, including health, family obligations, or personal matters.
Holidays are usually predetermined and observed by many people at once, such as national holidays or religious celebrations. Whereas leave is individually granted and its timing can vary widely from one employee to another based on personal or professional needs.
Some holidays are public holidays, meaning businesses and government offices are closed, and workers are given the day off with pay. In contrast, leave might be paid or unpaid depending on the employer’s policies and the type of leave taken (e.g., vacation, sick, parental).
While holidays can provide breaks for relaxation and celebration at scheduled times throughout the year, leave provides necessary time off that might be needed unexpectedly or planned in advance for specific personal reasons.
Employees generally do not need to request approval for holidays as these are already scheduled days off. However, for leave, employees typically must request approval from their supervisors or adhere to specific company protocols.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Days set aside for observance or celebration, often legally recognized.
Time off from work granted for personal, health, or family reasons.
Scheduling
Predetermined and fixed.
Requested by an individual and subject to approval.
Payment
Generally paid without need for special application.
Can be either paid or unpaid, depending on the type of leave and employer policy.
Purpose
To celebrate specific cultural, national, or religious events.
Personal needs, including health, family responsibilities, or leisure.
Regulation
Governed by public law or tradition.
Governed by organizational policies and labor laws.
Compare with Definitions
Holiday
A period of leisure and entertainment, often spent away from home.
We’re planning a holiday in Hawaii this summer.
Leave
The act of departing or exiting from a place.
He waved goodbye and took his leave.
Holiday
A special day of celebration and observance.
Many people decorate their homes during the Christmas holiday.
Leave
Permission to be absent from work.
She took a leave of absence to care for her sick child.
Holiday
A day fixed by law for the suspension of business activities.
Labor Day is a statutory holiday that celebrates workers' rights.
Leave
A period during which one’s duties are suspended.
He is on paternity leave for the next three weeks.
Holiday
A day free from work that often follows cultural, national, or religious significance.
Diwali is a major holiday in India, celebrated with fireworks and sweets.
Leave
Time allowed away from work for personal matters.
The company offers two days of personal leave each year.
Holiday
A day of festivity or recreation when no work is done.
July 4th is a national holiday in the United States.
Leave
A formal request to be absent from work for a reason.
Employees must submit a leave request form for planned absences.
Holiday
A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tradition of cultural or religious significance.
Leave
Go away from
The England team left for Pakistan on Monday
We were almost the last to leave
She left London on June 6
Holiday
An extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in travelling.
I spent my summer holidays on a farm
Fred was on holiday in Spain
Leave
Allow or cause to remain
The parts he disliked he would alter and the parts he didn't dislike he'd leave
Holiday
A short period during which the payment of instalments, tax, etc. may be suspended
A pension holiday
Leave
Cause (someone or something) to be in a particular state or position
I'll leave the door open
He'll leave you in no doubt about what he thinks
The children were left with feelings of loss
Holiday
Spend a holiday in a specified place
He is holidaying in Italy
Leave
(of a plant) put out new leaves
Trees leaved, wild flowers burst in profusion on the far side of the lake
Holiday
A day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event.
Leave
(in snooker, croquet, and other games) the position in which a player leaves the balls for the next player.
Holiday
A religious feast day; a holy day.
Leave
Time when one has permission to be absent from work or from duty in the armed forces
Joe was home on leave
Maternity leave
Holiday
Chiefly British A vacation. Often used in the phrase on holiday.
Leave
Permission
Leave from the court to commence an action
Holiday
To pass a holiday or vacation.
Leave
To go out of or away from
Not allowed to leave the room.
Holiday
A day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed.
Today is a Wiccan holiday!
Leave
To go without taking or removing
Left my book on the bus.
Holiday
A day declared free from work by the state or government.
Leave
To omit or exclude
Left out the funniest part of the story.
Holiday
A period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.
Leave
To have as a result, consequence, or remainder
The car left a trail of exhaust fumes. Two from eight leaves six.
Holiday
A period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).
I want to take a French course this summer holiday.
Leave
To cause or allow to be or remain in a specified state
Left the lights on.
Holiday
(finance) A period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made.
A mortgage payment holiday
Leave
To have remaining after death
Left a young son.
Holiday
A gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery.
Leave
To bequeath
Left her money to charity.
Holiday
(intransitive) To take a period of time away from work or study.
Leave
To give over to another to control or act on
Leave all the details to us.
Holiday
To spend a period of time in recreational travel.
Leave
To abandon or forsake
Leave home.
Left her husband.
Holiday
A consecrated day; religious anniversary; a day set apart in honor of some person, or in commemoration of some event. See Holyday.
Leave
To remove oneself from association with or participation in
Left the navy for civilian life.
Holiday
A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement and gayety; a festival day.
And young and old come forth to playOn a sunshine holiday.
Leave
To give or deposit, as for use or information, upon one's departure or in one's absence
He left a note for you. Leave your name and address.
Holiday
A day fixed by law for suspension of business; a legal holiday.
Leave
To cause or permit to be or remain
Left myself plenty of time.
Holiday
Of or pertaining to a festival; cheerful; joyous; gay.
Leave
(Nonstandard) To allow or permit; let.
Holiday
Occurring rarely; adapted for a special occasion.
Courage is but a holiday kind of virtue, to be seldom exercised.
Leave
To set out or depart; go
When can you leave?.
Holiday
Leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure;
We get two weeks of vacation every summer
We took a short holiday in Puerto Rico
Leave
To put forth foliage; leaf.
Holiday
A day on which work is suspended by law or custom;
No mail is delivered on federal holidays
It's a good thing that New Year's was a holiday because everyone had a hangover
Leave
Permission to do something.
Holiday
Spend or take a vacation
Leave
An act of departing; a farewell
Took leave of her with a heavy heart.
Leave
See leave of absence.
Leave
To have a consequence or remnant.
Leave
(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.
Leave
To cause, to result in.
The lightning left her dazzled for several minutes.
Infantile paralysis left him lame for the rest of his life.
She left disappointed.
Leave
(transitive) To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver, with a sense of withdrawing oneself.
Leave your hat in the hall.
We should leave the legal matters to lawyers.
I left my sewing and went to the window to watch the falling snow.
Leave
To depart; to separate from.
Leave
To let be or do without interference.
I left him to his reflections.
I leave my hearers to judge.
Leave
(transitive) To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.
I left the country and I left my wife.
Leave
(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.
Leave
(intransitive) To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.
I think you'd better leave.
Leave
To transfer something.
Leave
(transitive) To transfer possession of after death.
When my father died, he left me the house.
Leave
(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.
Leave
(transitive) To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.
Can't we just leave this to the experts?
Leave
To remain (behind); to stay.
Leave
To stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund).
Leave
(transitive) To give leave to; allow; permit; let; grant.
We were not left go to the beach after school except on a weekend.
Leave
To produce leaves or foliage.
Leave
(obsolete) To raise; to levy.
Leave
(cricket) The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball.
Leave
(billiards) The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones).
Leave
Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.
I've been given three weeks' leave by my boss.
Leave
Permission.
Might I beg leave to accompany you?
The applicant now seeks leave to appeal and, if leave be granted, to appeal against these sentences.
Leave
(dated) Farewell, departure.
I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.
Leave
To send out leaves; to leaf; - often with out.
Leave
To raise; to levy.
An army strong she leaved.
Leave
To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.
Leave
To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed.
If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes ?
These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed.
Leave
To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from.
Now leave complaining and begin your tea.
Leave
To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish.
Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
The heresies that men do leave.
Leave
To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge.
I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor.
Leave
To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to submit - with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as, leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave the matter to arbitrators.
Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way.
The footThat leaves the print of blood where'er it walks.
Leave
To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy to his niece.
Leave
To cause to be; - followed by an adjective or adverb describing a state or condition; as, the losses due to fire leave me penniless; The cost of defending himself left Bill Clinton with a mountain of lawyers' bills.
Leave
To depart; to set out.
By the time I left for Scotland.
Leave
To cease; to desist; to leave off.
Leave off, and for another summons wait.
Leave
Liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license.
David earnestly asked leave of me.
No friend has leave to bear away the dead.
Leave
The act of leaving or departing; a formal parting; a leaving; farewell; adieu; - used chiefly in the phrase, to take leave, i. e., literally, to take permission to go.
A double blessing is a'double grace;Occasion smiles upon a second leave.
And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren.
Leave
The period of time during which you are absent from work or duty;
A ten day's leave to visit his mother
Leave
Permission to do something;
She was granted leave to speak
Leave
The act of departing politely;
He disliked long farewells
He took his leave
Parting is such sweet sorrow
Leave
Go away from a place;
At what time does your train leave?
She didn't leave until midnight
The ship leaves at midnight
Leave
Go and leave behind, either intentionally or by neglect or forgetfulness;
She left a mess when she moved out
His good luck finally left him
Her husband left her after 20 years of marriage
She wept thinking she had been left behind
Leave
Act or be so as to become in a specified state;
The inflation left them penniless
The president's remarks left us speechless
Leave
Leave unchanged or undisturbed or refrain from taking;
Leave it as is
Leave the young fawn alone
Leave the flowers that you see in the park behind
Leave
Move out of or depart from;
Leave the room
The fugitive has left the country
Leave
Make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain;
This leaves no room for improvement
The evidence allows only one conclusion
Allow for mistakes
Leave lots of time for the trip
This procedure provides for lots of leeway
Leave
Result in;
The water left a mark on the silk dress
Her blood left a stain on the napkin
Leave
Remove oneself from an association with or participation in;
She wants to leave
The teenager left home
She left her position with the Red Cross
He left the Senate after two terms
After 20 years with the same company, she pulled up stakes
Leave
Put into the care or protection of someone;
He left the decision to his deputy
Leave your child the nurse's care
Leave
Leave or give by will after one's death;
My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelry
My grandfather left me his entire estate
Leave
Have left or have as a remainder;
That left the four of us
19 minus 8 leaves 11
Leave
Be survived by after one's death;
He left six children
At her death, she left behind her husband and 11 cats
Leave
Tell or deposit (information) knowledge;
Give a secret to the Russians
Leave your name and address here
Leave
Leave behind unintentionally;
I forgot my umbrella in the restaurant
I left my keys inside the car and locked the doors
Common Curiosities
Can leave be unpaid?
Yes, depending on the employer's policies and the type of leave, some leave can be unpaid, such as certain types of personal or extended medical leave.
Are holidays the same in every country?
No, holidays vary widely between countries, reflecting differences in cultural, national, and religious practices.
Is leave automatically granted when requested?
Not always; leave requests can be denied based on business needs, availability of other staff, or the nature of the leave request.
What are typical examples of holidays?
Typical examples of holidays include Christmas, Independence Day, and New Year’s Day.
What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend?
In many cases, if a public holiday falls on a weekend, it might be observed on the nearest weekday.
How do cultural practices influence the observance of holidays?
Cultural practices heavily influence how holidays are celebrated, with variations seen in activities, food, and public ceremonies.
How does one typically request leave from work?
Leave is usually requested by submitting a form or a digital request through an employer’s HR system, subject to approval by management.
Do all workers receive holiday pay?
Holiday pay policies vary by country and employer; not all workers are entitled to paid holidays.
What is statutory holiday?
A statutory holiday is a legally recognized holiday that mandates specific pay and leave benefits for employees.
What is the difference between annual leave and casual leave?
Annual leave is typically used for vacations and is planned in advance, while casual leave is intended for unforeseen or short-term personal matters.
Is there a limit to how much leave one can take?
Yes, most organizations set limits on how much leave an employee can take, based on the type of leave and length of service.
Can holidays ever be moved or changed?
Some holidays, particularly those based on lunar calendars like Easter, can vary each year. Others are fixed.
Can one be compelled to work on a holiday?
Depending on local laws and contracts, some employees might be required to work on holidays, often with extra pay known as holiday pay.
Can employers refuse to grant leave for holidays?
Employers generally cannot refuse leave for public holidays, but for other holidays not recognized by law, it's up to the employer's discretion.
How do holidays impact business operations?
Holidays can lead to closures or reduced operations in many sectors, particularly in retail, government, and education.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
