leisure

English

Alternative forms

• leasure (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English leyser, from Anglo-Norman leisir, variant of Old French loisir (“to enjoy oneself”) (Modern French loisir survives as a noun), substantive use of a verb, from Latin licēre (“be permitted”). Displaced native Old English ǣmetta.

Pronunciation

• (UK, General Australian, General South African)
  • IPA^(key): /ˈlɛʒə(ɹ)/, /ˈliːʒə(ɹ)/ (extremely old fashioned)

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -ɛʒə(ɹ)
• (US, Canada)
  • IPA^(key): /ˈliːʒəɹ/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -iːʒə(ɹ)
  • (rarely) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛʒəɹ/

Noun

leisure (countable and uncountable, plural leisures)

1. Freedom provided by the cessation of activities.
2. Free time, time free from work or duties.
   • 1672, William Temple, An Essay Upon the Original and Nature of Government:

     The desire of leisure is much more natural than of business and care.

   • 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter 11, in Sense and Sensibility , volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: C Roworth, , and published by T Egerton, , →OCLC:

     Little had Mrs. Dashwood or her daughters imagined when they first came into Devonshire, that so many engagements would arise to occupy their time as shortly presented themselves, or that they should have such frequent invitations and such constant visitors as to leave them little leisure for serious employment.

   • 1908, Aristotle, translated by William David Ross, Metaphysics:

     This is why the mathematical arts were founded in Egypt; for there the priestly caste was allowed to be at leisure.

3. Time at one's command, free from engagement; convenient opportunity; hence, convenience; ease.
   • 1717, John Dryden [et al.], “(please specify |book=I to XV)”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:

     He sigh'd, and had no leisure more to say.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• ease
• recreation

Further reading

• leisure on Wikipedia.Wikipedia