leaver

/ˈliːvə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈliːvər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlēvə(r)/ (ame, mw)

leaver — noun

1. a teenager who is finishing or has recently finished secondary school, often use

1.名詞B2
釋義

a teenager who is finishing or has recently finished secondary school, often used when talking about jobs, exams, or what they will do next

例句

Zola joined the bank as a school leaver and trained on the job for two years.

compound noun: school leaver

Many school leavers in Manchester apply for apprenticeships before deciding about university.

plural: school leavers + collective context

同義詞
  • graduate

    American English equivalent for someone finishing high school; 'leaver' is more neutral about whether the person passed exams

  • school-leaver

    the hyphenated form often appears in headlines and government reports

反義詞
  • starter

    occasionally used as a contrast for someone joining a school year

文法句型

school leaver

[year] leaver

early leaver

用法筆記

Mainly British English; the typical pattern is 'school leaver' or '[year/stage] leaver' rather than 'leaver' on its own. Distinguish from sense 2, which can describe anyone walking out of any place.

常見錯誤

❌I am a leaver this June.
✅I am a school leaver this June.
💡on its own, 'leaver' sounds incomplete; pair it with 'school' or the school stage.
❌She is a high school leaver.
✅She is a school leaver.
💡British English usually says 'school leaver', not 'high school leaver'.

2. someone who is going away from a place, a job, or an organisation, often discuss

2.名詞C1
釋義

someone who is going away from a place, a job, or an organisation, often discussed alongside people who stay or arrive

例句

Mira interviewed every leaver about why they were quitting the museum.

collocation: interview a leaver (HR context)

The hotel manager handed each leaver a small thank-you card at the staff farewell.

workplace farewell context

同義詞
  • departer

    rare; mostly only used in formal travel or administrative contexts

  • quitter

    informal and often negative; suggests giving up rather than simply leaving

反義詞
  • joiner

    common HR pairing: 'joiners and leavers' as a measure of staff turnover

  • stayer

    someone who chooses to remain, especially when others are leaving

文法句型

a leaver of [place]

leavers from [event]

用法筆記

Often paired with 'joiner' in HR or analytics contexts ('joiners and leavers'). Distinguish from sense 1, which is restricted to teenagers finishing secondary school.

常見錯誤

❌He is a leaver from the country.
✅He is someone leaving the country.
💡for general 'going away', a verb phrase sounds more natural than the noun.