0 a period of time that a soldier, worker, or prisoner is allowed to be absent, especially to return temporarily to their own home:
It is a crime for a person who has been given a furlough to fail to return to the jail or prison at the required time.
Employees of the company were told to prepare themselves for a round of furloughs.
The union represents about 9,000 active pilots, with nearly 2,000 more pilots currently on furlough.
1 to give someone permission to be absent from the armed services, work, or prison for a period of time, especially to return temporarily to their own home:
Furloughed servicemen must be given preference over civilian travel.
After safety concerns, the company furloughed all 4,000 of its employees.
2 a time allowed for a person to be absent, esp. from the army or a prison:
I’m home on furlough.
Her husband was posted overseas at the time, and when he came home on furlough and found out, he was angry.
More than 3,000 workers at United took a voluntary three-month furlough from the company.
He was a furloughed prisoner at the time he committed the crime.
She is furloughed from rehab to attend her sister's wedding.
Delta furloughed hundreds of pilots.
2,300 workers were involuntarily furloughed to help the company reach its goal of reducing the workforce by 20 percent.
As of January, full-timers at the museum will be furloughed 1 day a month.
No furloughs were given, and the men lived in tents.
