Paid Time Off: Meaning, Examples, and How It Works

Meaning 1：Paid leave (Paid time off)

Paid time off 🔊

/peɪd taɪm ɒf/

n. phr.

Time when you can be away from work but still get paid your normal salary. It's a type of employee benefit.

PTO paid time off employee relaxing on beach with calendar

Paid leave 🔊

➕

/peɪd liːv/

n. phr.

A benefit that allows employees to take time off from work while still receiving their regular pay.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Paid from 'pay' (Latin pacare), time from Old English tīma, off from Old English of.

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'Pay' + 'time off' = money while you rest.

📖 Example

I'm planning to use my paid time off for a trip to the seaside next month. 🔊 I'm planning to use my paid time off for a trip to the seaside next month.

🔗 Collocations

request paid time off – To formally ask for approval to use PTO.

accrue paid time off – To earn PTO hours over time based on work hours.

use paid time off – To take advantage of one's PTO benefit for absence.

🔄 Synonyms

vacation leave (n.) – Time off from work specifically for holidays or personal rest, usually paid.

annual leave (n.) – Paid time off granted to employees each year for rest or personal matters.

🚫 Antonyms

unpaid leave (n.) – Time off from work without pay, often for extended personal reasons.

🌱 Derivatives

PTO (n.) – Abbreviation for paid time off.

📖 Cultural Story

Paid time off became a standard employee benefit in Western companies during the 20th century, allowing workers to take paid vacations.