# leave

> English word · Verb · IPA /liːv/ · frequency rank #457

## Definitions
1. To have a consequence or remnant.
2. To have a consequence or remnant.
3. To have a consequence or remnant.
4. To depart; to separate from.
5. To depart; to separate from.
6. To depart; to separate from.
7. To depart; to separate from.
8. To depart; to separate from.
9. To depart; to separate from.
10. To transfer something.
11. To transfer something.
12. To transfer something.
13. To remain (behind); to stay.
14. To stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund).

## Etymology
From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan, from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of *lībaną (“to stay, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat”).
Cognate with Old Frisian lēva (“to leave”), Old Saxon lēvian, Old High German leiban (“to leave”), Old Norse leifa (“to leave over”) (whence Icelandic leifa (“to leave food uneaten”), Swedish leva (“to leave”)), lifna (“to be left”) (whence Danish levne). More at lave, belive.
The noun is attested since the 19th century, with earliest references to billiards.

## Easily confused with
- **lee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-lee)
- **lev** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-lev)
- **love** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-love)
- **live** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-live)
- **levy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-levy)
- **Levi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-levi)
- **level** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-level)
- **lever** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-lever)
- **ledge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-ledge)
- **lemme** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-lemme)
- **levee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-levee)
- **Leyte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-leyte)
- **Lexie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-lexie)
- **leaves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-leaves)
- **leaved** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-leaved)
- **Lepage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/leave-vs-lepage)
- **lea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lea-vs-leave)
- **lav** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lav-vs-leave)
- **late** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/late-vs-leave)
- **lead** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lead-vs-leave)

## Common misspellings (6)
`elave`, `laeve`, `leaev`, `leavve`, `levae`, `lleave`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/leave