1. A leave for a vacation or absence from duty with pay: More often, a furlough is granted to members of the military forces so they can travel on vacation.
2. A temporary layoff from work: With the government shutdown, people are forced to take a furlough without pay.
3. The documents or authorization papers showing that a person is permitted to take a leave of absence: The sergeant had his furlough in his jacket to show that he had permission by his unit to go home on leave to be with his family for two weeks.
4. Etymology: from Dutch verlof, "permission"; from Middle Dutch ver-, "completely, for" + <>laf, lof, "permission".

1. To grant or give permission to take a leave of absence: In the U.S. military, members are often furloughed (with pay) so they can take care of special issues or be with their families, etc.
2. To lay off workers for economic reasons: The government had to furlough many workers without pay because of the shutdown and that caused many of them to have serious financial problems.

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