leisure
LEE-zher
/ˈlɛʒ.ər/
Free time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic duties, and education.
Implies enjoyable, unhurried time that one can spend entirely at one's own discretion.
The story behind the word. Traces back to Latin 'licere', which meant 'to be permitted' or 'to be lawful'. In Old French this became 'loisir' (free opportunity), which entered Middle English as 'leisure'—time when one is permitted to do as one pleases.
Word relationships
- recreation: Recreation emphasizes active games, sports, or hobbies during free time.
- relaxation: Relaxation focuses specifically on unwinding and resting bodily tension.
- drudgery: Drudgery refers to hard, dull, or tedious work.
Commonly confused with
- seizure: A seizure is a sudden medical condition or legal confiscation of property.
Word family
- leisurely (adjective/adverb): Unforeforced, relaxed, or done without hurry.
Collocations
- leisure time
- leisure activities
- at leisure
- leisure pursuits
Idioms & expressions
- at your leisure
Example sentences
- "After decades of strict work schedules, he looked forward to enjoying a long retirement filled with leisure." Retirement plan
- "Learning to embrace leisure activities can take time for workaholics stepping into retirement." Lifestyle article
Memory hook
Licere = Permitted. You are permitted to do whatever you want in your free time. Permitted time with no deadlines.
When not to use
Do not use to describe forced unemployment or inactive time spent recovering from illness.
Fun facts
- The phrase 'at your leisure' originally meant 'when opportunity permits you' in medieval court etiquette.
Explore more words
leisurely, recreational, vacation, holiday, unwind, discretionary
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