leisure

noun

lei·​sure ˈlē-zhər How to pronounce leisure (audio) ˈle- How to pronounce leisure (audio)
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
leisure adjective
Phrases
at leisure or at one's leisure
: in one's leisure time : at one's convenience
read the book at her leisure

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 Although the leisure options are good, especially the chance to travel, expats don’t feel safe and over half say the air quality is poor compared to 17% globally. Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Later in June 2024, American will increase frequencies to nearly a dozen flights to the Caribbean and Latin America, highlighting its strong demand for warm-weather, leisure destinations across its network. Stella Shon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2023 Even as the Thanksgiving weekend forced everyone to prioritize leisure, a bevy of artists seized the opportunity to unleash some new music upon the world. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2023 Husbands in egalitarian marriages spend about 3.5 hours more per week on leisure activities than wives do. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 27 Nov. 2023 So as the smell of turkey begins to envelop the house and more and more people sneak into the kitchen for a preview of the day’s meal, enjoy some leisure time on the couch to catch a game as the playoff season begins to heat up. Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2023 Find it on Amazon Enhance Any Room with a Chic Side Table Enhance your work-from-home or leisure experience with the portable table, a versatile and convenient addition to any space. Poppy Morgan, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023 The largest year-over-year gains were in construction, up 7,900 workers; private education and health services increased 6,900; and 5,900 jobs were added in leisure and hospitality, which lost 1,900 jobs in October. Andrew Moreau, arkansasonline.com, 18 Nov. 2023 The leisure and hospitality industry lost 8 million jobs in the first two months of the pandemic—more than any other industry. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leisure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of leisure was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near leisure

Cite this Entry

“Leisure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leisure. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

leisure

noun
lei·​sure ˈlēzh-ər How to pronounce leisure (audio) ˈlezh- How to pronounce leisure (audio)
ˈlāzh-
1
: freedom from work or duties
2
3
: time at one's command : convenience
has the leisure to pursue a hobby
leisure adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on leisure

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