Leisure Means Being Allowed
Leisure is time free from work. The word comes from the Latin for permitted, the same root that gives us licence.
Leisure is time that is yours: free from work and obligation. The root explains the flavour. Latin *licere* means to be permitted, and it also gives *licence*. Leisure is permitted time, which is why *at your leisure* means when you are allowed rather than when you are able.
- Free time. *Leisure activities.*
- Unhurried ease. *Read it at your leisure.*
- The leisure industry. *Leisure and tourism.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | leisure | Time for leisure. |
| Adjective | leisurely | A leisurely walk. |
| Compound | leisure centre | The local leisure centre. |
| Phrase | at leisure | Answer at your leisure. |
| Related | licence | A driving licence. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He plays the piano in his leisure time.Leisure time is the usual compound.
- Take a leisurely stroll along the front.Leisurely is an adjective, not an adverb.
- Reply at your leisure.A polite way of saying no rush.
Free time words
- Leisure — time free from obligation
- Recreation — activity done for enjoyment
- Pastime — something to fill time pleasantly
- Hobby — a regular interest pursued for its own sake
- Idleness — doing nothing, which leisure need not mean
From Old French *leisir*, from Latin *licere*, to be permitted. The British pronunciation rhymes with *pleasure*; American English says LEE-zhur.
How is leisure pronounced?
British LEZH-er, rhyming with pleasure. American LEE-zhur. Both are standard in their own varieties.
Is *leisurely* an adverb?
It is normally an adjective: a leisurely lunch. Using it as an adverb sounds odd to many readers; *at leisure* is safer.