Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The drift of a ship or aircraft to leeward of the course being steered.
  • noun A margin of freedom or variation, as of activity, time, or expenditure; latitude. synonym: room.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The lateral movement of a ship to the leeward of her course, or the angle formed between the line of the ship's keel and the line which she actually describes through the water; the deviation from her true course which a vessel makes by drifting to leeward.
  • noun Hence Loss of progress in general; a falling behind; retrogression: as, to be making leeway financially.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Naut.) The lateral movement of a ship to the leeward of her course; drift.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The drift of a ship or airplane in a leeward direction.
  • noun A varying degree or amount of freedom or flexibility; margin, latitude, elbowroom.
  • noun UK An adverse discrepancy or variation in a cumulative process, usually in make up leeway.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits
  • noun (of a ship or plane) sideways drift

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

lee (“side away from the wind”) +‎ way

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Examples

Comments

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  • You may find that you have less

    independence and leeway at work and this could make you irritable and agitated. Be careful when making business or financial decisions as someone with a hidden agenda may be exerting influence.

    April 17, 2011