Sabbatical Year
Preserved but no longer current.
One year in seven, when all land with the ancient Jews was to he fallow for twelve months. This law was founded on Exod. xxiii, 10, etc.; Lev. xxv, 2-7; Deut. xv, 1-11. In certain American and other universities the custom of allowing professors every seven years one full year during which he is free to study or travel without the obligation of teaching or lecturing.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Sabbatical Year” mean?
One year in seven, when all land with the ancient Jews was to he fallow for twelve months. This law was founded on Exod. xxiii, 10, etc.; Lev. xxv, 2-7; Deut. xv, 1-11. In certain American and other universities the custom of allowing professors every seven years one full year during which he is free to study or travel without the obligation of teaching or lecturing.
Is “Sabbatical Year” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.