luxury

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noun lux·u·ry \ ˈlək-sh(ə-)rē , -zh(ə-)rē \

Definition of luxury

plural luxuries

1 :a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort :sumptuous environment

lived in luxury

2 a :something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary

one of life's luxuries

b :an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease

had the luxury of rejecting a handful of job offers
—Terri Minsky

3 archaic :lechery, lust

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luxury

adjective

See luxury defined for English-language learners

See luxury defined for kids

Examples of luxury in a Sentence

He spent a fortune on expensive wines and other luxuries.
Right now a new car is a luxury that I can't afford.
On my salary, I can afford few luxuries.
We were lucky to have the luxury of choosing from among several good options.
We can't afford the luxury of waiting any longer.

Recent Examples of luxury from the Web

But as reported by Allure, there are some particularly excellent beauty samples being offered up by luxury retailer Nordstrom right now through their website.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Here's How To Get Free Beauty Products from Nordstrom," 25 Aug. 2017
The Plaza is not the only old-line luxury hotel in a state of flux.

— charles v. bagli, New York Times, "The Plaza Is for Sale, but a Part-Owner Has Other Ideas," 23 Aug. 2017
Luxury candy boutique Sugarfina carries more than 140 types of gourmet candies from around the world, including Jamaican Rum Snowballs, Give It A Shot Tequila Cordials and Green Juice Gummy Bears (perfect for more health-conscious individuals).

— courtney ortega, star-telegram, "Tired of being a grown-up? Indulge your inner child with these ‘kidulting’ options in DFW," 18 Aug. 2017
In Manhattan luxury real estate, the Russians, among many other nationalities, found an ideal vehicle.

— craig unger, The Hive, "Why Robert Mueller Has Trump SoHo in His Sights," 13 Aug. 2017
The Olympic Village, home to some of the world's most elite Tinder swipes, was supposed to be converted into luxury condos.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "One Year Later, Rio's Olympic Buildings Are Just Abandoned," 11 Aug. 2017
The father also acted as a nominee for Price to buy the Corvette and a luxury house in Country Club Hills as well as renting cars for him in his name that Price used to evade police, authorities said.

— gregory pratt, chicagotribune.com, "Prosecutors allege heroin supplier used violence to protect drug empire," 10 Aug. 2017
Alcohol is also allowed in luxury boxes and the Touchdown Club, which is located in the south end zone.

— jesse newell, kansascity, "KU football opens Field Goal Club in Memorial Stadium … and yes, it’ll have alcohol," 10 Aug. 2017
Just the mention of luxury real estate in Southern California can conjure daydreams of beach houses in Malibu or estates in the hills of Bel Air.

— scott garner, Town & Country, "How Arcadia, California Became the Next Calabasas," 9 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'luxury.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of luxury

Middle English luxurie, from Anglo-French luxorie, from Latin luxuria rankness, luxury, excess; akin to Latin luxus luxury, excess

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

luxury Synonyms

Synonyms

amenity, comfort, extra, frill, indulgence, superfluity

Antonyms

basic, essential, fundamental, must, necessity, requirement

Related Words

extravagance, nonessential; dainty, delicacy, nicety, treat; accessory (also accessary), accoutrement (or accouterment), bells and whistles, option

LUXURY Defined for English Language Learners

luxury

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noun

Definition of luxury for English Language Learners

: a condition or situation of great comfort, ease, and wealth
: something that is expensive and not necessary
: something that is helpful or welcome and that is not usually or always available