leisure

noun

lei·​sure ˈlē-zhər  ˈle- 

ˈlā-

1

: freedom provided by the cessation of activities

especially : time free from work or duties

Increase of leisure, diminution of hustle are the ends to be sought …

—Bertrand Russell

2

: ease, leisureliness

leisure adjective

see also:

at leisure

Synonyms of leisure

• relaxation
• rest
• resting

Examples of leisure in a Sentence

I don't have much time for leisure.

upon retiring, the elderly couple looked forward to a life of well-deserved leisure

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the new ships won’t cost it a dime as it will be fully financed, owned and operated in Japan under license by local leisure giant Oriental Land Company (OLC). — Christian Sylt, Fortune, 16 July 2026

Below, get a better idea of each scent and the shoppable sizes and options for each, or click through here to shop the full range of products at your leisure. — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 14 July 2026

Unmarried young men lead the rest of the population in sedentary, solo leisure time (a metric that gets at hours spent chasing dopamine hits in front of a screen). — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

Electric boats are no longer limited to slow-moving leisure craft. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English leiser, from Anglo-French leisir, from leisir to be permitted, from Latin licēre — see license entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing leisure

• a lady/man/gentleman of leisure
• a life of leisure
• at leisure
• at one's leisure
• leisure class
• leisure suit

Rhymes for leisure

• measure
• pleasure
• treasure
• countermeasure
• displeasure

Kids Definition

leisure

noun

lei·​sure ˈlēzh-ər  ˈlezh- 

ˈlāzh-

1

: freedom from work or duties

2

: ease entry 1 sense 1

3

: time at one's command : convenience

has the leisure to pursue a hobby

leisure adjective