sabbatical
[səˈbæɾɪk(ə)ɫ]adjective, noun
sabbatical is spelled S-A-B-B-A-T-I-C-A-L: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, sabbatical means “Relating to the Sabbath” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in sabbatical?
| Letters | 10: S-A-B-B-A-T-I-C-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 30,789th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is sabbatical?
Sabbatical appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce sabbatical?
- /səˈbætɪkəl/
- US [səˈbæɾɪk(ə)ɫ]
Sabbatical has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-sabbatical.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of sabbatical
- sabbatic
- sabbaticals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sabbatical mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Relating to the Sabbath.
- 2
Relating to a sabbatical.
noun
- 1
An extended period of leave from a person's usual pursuits.
- 2
A sabbatical year (ancient religious observance).
adjective
- 1
Relating to the Sabbath
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sabbatical in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sabbatique , année sabbatique |
| German | sabbatlich , Sabbatjahr, Sabbatical, Langzeiturlaub, Studienurlaub |
| Portuguese | sabático , sabática |
| Spanish | sabático |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does sabbatical come from?
From Latin sabbaticus + -al.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).