What is meant by the word leisure

Leisure has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time.^[1][2] Free time is time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as eating and sleeping. Leisure as an experience usually emphasizes dimensions of perceived freedom and choice. It is done for «its own sake», for the quality of experience and involvement.^[1] Other classic definitions include Thorstein Veblen’s (1899) of «nonproductive consumption of time.»^[3] Free time is not easy to define due to the multiplicity of approaches used to determine its essence. Different disciplines have definitions reflecting their common issues: for example, sociology on social forces and contexts and psychology as mental and emotional states and conditions. From a research perspective, these approaches have an advantage of being quantifiable and comparable over time and place.^[4]

Leisure studies and sociology of leisure are the academic disciplines concerned with the study and analysis of leisure. Recreation differs from leisure in that it is a purposeful activity that includes the experience of leisure in activity contexts. Economists consider that leisure times are valuable to a person like wages that they could earn for the same time spend towards the activity. If it were not, people would have worked instead of taking leisure.^[5] However, the distinction between leisure and unavoidable activities is not a rigidly defined one, e.g. people sometimes do work-oriented tasks for pleasure as well as for long-term utility.^[6] A related concept is social leisure, which involves leisurely activities in social settings, such as extracurricular activities, e.g. sports, clubs. Another related concept is that of family leisure. Relationships with others is usually a major factor in both satisfaction and choice.

The concept of leisure as a human right was realised in article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

History[edit]

Leisure has historically been the privilege of the upper class.^[7] Opportunities for leisure came with more money, or organization, and less working time, rising dramatically in the mid-to-late 19th century, starting in Great Britain and spreading to other rich nations in Europe. It spread as well to the United States, although that country had a reputation in Europe for providing much less leisure despite its wealth. Immigrants to the United States discovered they had to work harder than they did in Europe.^[8] Economists continue to investigate why Americans work longer hours.^[9] In a recent book, Laurent Turcot argues that leisure was not created in the 19th century but is imbricated in the occidental world since the beginning of history.^[10]

Canada[edit]

In Canada, leisure in the country is related to the decline in work hours and is shaped by moral values, and the ethnic-religious and gender communities. In a cold country with winter’s long nights, and summer’s extended daylight, favorite leisure activities include horse racing, team sports such as hockey, singalongs, roller skating and board games.^[11][12][13] The churches tried to steer leisure activities, by preaching against drinking and scheduling annual revivals and weekly club activities.^[14] By 1930 radio played a major role in uniting Canadians behind their local or regional hockey teams. Play-by-play sports coverage, especially of ice hockey, absorbed fans far more intensely than newspaper accounts the next day. Rural areas were especially influenced by sports coverage.^[15]

France[edit]

Leisure by the mid-19th century was no longer an individualistic activity. It was increasingly organized. In the French industrial city of Lille, with a population of 80,000 in 1858, the cabarets or taverns for the working class numbered 1300, or one for every three houses. Lille counted 63 drinking and singing clubs, 37 clubs for card players, 23 for bowling, 13 for skittles, and 18 for archery. The churches likewise have their social organizations. Each club had a long roster of officers, and a busy schedule of banquets, festivals and competitions. At the turn of the century thousands of these clubs had been created.^[16]

United Kingdom[edit]

As literacy, wealth, ease of travel, and a broadened sense of community grew in Britain from the mid-19th century onward, there was more time and interest in leisure activities of all sorts, on the part of all classes.^[17]

Opportunities for leisure activities increased because real wages continued to grow and hours of work continued to decline. In urban Britain, the nine-hour day was increasingly the norm; the 1874 Factory Act limited the workweek to 56.5 hours. The movement toward an eight-hour day. Furthermore, system of routine annual vacations came into play, starting with white-collar workers and moving into the working-class.^[18][19] Some 200 seaside resorts emerged thanks to cheap hotels and inexpensive railway fares, widespread banking holidays and the fading of many religious prohibitions against secular activities on Sundays.^[20]

By the late Victorian era, the leisure industry had emerged in all British cities, and the pattern was copied across Western Europe and North America. It provided scheduled entertainment of suitable length and convenient locales at inexpensive prices. These include sporting events, music halls, and popular theater. By 1880 football was no longer the preserve of the social elite, as it attracted large working-class audiences. Average gate was 5,000 in 1905, rising to 23,000 in 1913. That amounted to 6 million paying customers with a weekly turnover of £400,000. Sports by 1900 generated some three percent of the total gross national product in Britain. Professionalization of sports was the norm, although some new activities reached an upscale amateur audience, such as lawn tennis and golf. Women were now allowed in some sports, such as archery, tennis, badminton and gymnastics.^[21]

Leisure was primarily a male activity, with middle-class women allowed in at the margins. There were class differences with upper-class clubs, and working-class and middle-class pubs.^[22] Heavy drinking declined; there was more betting on outcomes. Participation in sports and all sorts of leisure activities increased for average English people, and their interest in spectator sports increased dramatically.^[23]

By the 1920s the cinema and radio attracted all classes, ages, and genders in very large numbers. Giant palaces were built for the huge audiences that wanted to see Hollywood films. In Liverpool 40 percent of the population attended one of the 69 cinemas once a week; 25 percent went twice. Traditionalists grumbled about the American cultural invasion, but the permanent impact was minor.^[24]

The British showed a more profound interest in sports, and in greater variety, that any rival. They gave pride of place to such moral issues as sportsmanship and fair play.^[17] Cricket became symbolic of the Imperial spirit throughout the Empire. Soccer proved highly attractive to the urban working classes, which introduced the rowdy spectator to the sports world. In some sports, there was significant controversy in the fight for amateur purity especially in rugby and rowing. New games became popular almost overnight, including golf, lawn tennis, cycling and hockey. Women were much more likely to enter these sports than the old established ones. The aristocracy and landed gentry, with their ironclad control over land rights, dominated hunting, shooting, fishing and horse racing.^[25]

Cricket had become well-established among the English upper class in the 18th century, and was a major factor in sports competition among the public schools. Army units around the Empire had time on their hands, and encouraged the locals to learn cricket so they could have some entertaining competition. Most of the Empire embraced cricket, with the exception of Canada.^[26] Cricket test matches (international) began by the 1870s; the most famous is that between Australia and Britain for «The Ashes».^[27]

Types[edit]

The range of leisure activities extends from the very informal and casual to highly organised and long-lasting activities. A significant subset of leisure activities are hobbies which are undertaken for personal satisfaction, usually on a regular basis, and often result in satisfaction through skill development or recognised achievement, sometimes in the form of a product. The list of hobbies is ever changing as society changes.

Substantial and fulfilling hobbies and pursuits are described by Sociologist Robert Stebbins^[28] as serious leisure. The serious leisure perspective is a way of viewing the wide range of leisure pursuits in three main categories: casual leisure, serious leisure, and project-based leisure.^[29]

Serious leisure[edit]

«Serious leisure is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer … that is highly substantial, interesting, and fulfilling and where … participants find a [leisure] career…».^[30] For example, collecting stamps or maintaining a public wetland area.

People undertaking serious leisure can be categorised as amateurs, volunteers or hobbyists. Their engagement is distinguished from casual leisure by a high level of perseverance, effort, knowledge and training required and durable benefits and the sense that one can create in effect a leisure career through such activity.^[28]

The range of serious leisure activities is growing rapidly in modern times^[28] with developed societies having greater leisure time, longevity and prosperity. The Internet is providing increased support for amateurs and hobbyists to communicate, display and share products.

Reading[edit]

As literacy and leisure time expanded after 1900, reading became a popular pastime. New additions to adult fiction doubled during the 1920s, reaching 2800 new books a year by 1935. Libraries tripled their stocks, and saw heavy demand for new fiction.^[31] A dramatic innovation was the inexpensive paperback, pioneered by Allen Lane (1902–70) at Penguin Books in 1935. The first titles included novels by Ernest Hemingway and Agatha Christie. They were sold cheap (usually sixpence) in a wide variety of inexpensive stores such as Woolworth’s. Penguin aimed at an educated middle class «middlebrow» audience. It avoided the downscale image of American paperbacks. The line signaled cultural self-improvement and political education. The more polemical Penguin Specials, typically with a leftist orientation for Labour readers, were widely distributed during World War II.^[32] However the war years caused a shortage of staff for publishers and book stores, and a severe shortage of rationed paper, worsened by the air raid on Paternoster Square in 1940 that burned 5 million books in warehouses.^[33]

Romantic fiction was especially popular, with Mills and Boon the leading publisher.^[34] Romantic encounters were embodied in a principle of sexual purity that demonstrated not only social conservatism, but also how heroines could control their personal autonomy.^[35][36] Adventure magazines became quite popular, especially those published by DC Thomson; the publisher sent observers around the country to talk to boys and learn what they wanted to read about. The story line in magazines and cinema that most appealed to boys was the glamorous heroism of British soldiers fighting wars that were perceived as exciting and just.^[37]

Casual leisure[edit]

«Casual leisure is immediately, intrinsically rewarding; and it is a relatively short-lived, pleasurable activity requiring little or no special training to enjoy it.»^[30] For example, watching TV or going for a swim.

Project-based leisure[edit]

«Project-based leisure is a short-term, moderately complicated, either one-shot or occasional, though infrequent, creative undertaking carried out in free time.»^[30] For example, working on a single Wikipedia article or building a garden feature.

Cultural differences[edit]

Time available for leisure varies from one society to the next, although anthropologists have found that hunter-gatherers tend to have significantly more leisure time than people in more complex societies.^[38] As a result, band societies such as the Shoshone of the Great Basin came across as extraordinarily lazy to European colonialists.^[39]

Workaholics, less common than the social myths, are those who work compulsively at the expense of other activities. They prefer to work rather than spend time socializing and engaging in other leisure activities.

European and American men statistically have more leisure time than women, due to both household and parenting responsibilities and increasing participation in the paid employment. In Europe and the United States, adult men usually have between one and nine hours more leisure time than women do each week.^[40]

Family leisure[edit]

Family leisure is defined as time that parents, children and siblings spend together in free time or recreational activities,^[41] and it can be expanded to address intergenerational family leisure as time that grandparents, parents, and grandchildren spend together in free time or recreational activities.^[42] Leisure can become a central place for the development of emotional closeness and strong family bonds. Contexts such as urban/rural shape the perspectives, meanings, and experiences of family leisure. For example, leisure moments are part of work in rural areas, and the rural idyll is enacted by urban families on weekends, but both urban and rural families somehow romanticize rural contexts as ideal spaces for family making (connection to nature, slower and more intimate space, notion of a caring social fabric, tranquillity, etc.).^[42][43] Also, much «family leisure» requires tasks that are most often assigned to women. Family leisure also includes playing together with family members on the weekend day.

Aging[edit]

Leisure is important across the lifespan and can facilitate a sense of control and self-worth.^[44] Older adults, specifically, can benefit from physical, social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual aspects of leisure. Leisure engagement and relationships are commonly central to «successful» and satisfying aging.^[45] For example, engaging in leisure with grandchildren can enhance feelings of generativity, whereby older adults can achieve well-being by leaving a legacy beyond themselves for future generations.^[46]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Cross, Gary S. Encyclopedia of recreation and leisure in America. (2004).
• Harris, David. Key concepts in leisure studies. (Sage, 2005)
• Hunnicutt, Benjamin Kline. Free Time: The Forgotten American Dream. (Temple University Press, 2013).
• Ibrahim, Hilmi. Leisure and society: a comparative approach (1991).
• Jenkins, John M., and J.J.J. Pigram. Encyclopedia of leisure and outdoor recreation. (Routledge, 2003). ISBN 0-415-25226-1.
• Kostas Kalimtzis. An Inquiry into the Philosophical Concept of Scholê: Leisure As a Political End. London; New York: Bloomsbury, 2017.
• Rojek, Chris, Susan M. Shaw, and A.J. Veal, eds/ A Handbook of Leisure Studies. (2006).

History of leisure[edit]

• Abrams, Lynn. Workers’ culture in imperial Germany: leisure and recreation in the Rhineland and Westphalia (2002).
• Beck, Peter J. «Leisure and Sport in Britain.» in Chris Wrigley, ed., A Companion to Early Twentieth-Century Britain (2008): 453–69.
• Borsay, Peter. A History of Leisure: The British Experience since 1500 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006).
• Burke, Peter. «The Invention of Leisure in Early Modern Europe». In: Past and Present 146 (1995), p. 136-150.
• Cross, Gary. A social history of leisure since 1600 (1990).
• De Grazia, Victoria. The culture of consent: mass organisation of leisure in fascist Italy (2002).
• Hatcher, John. «Labour, Leisure and Economic Thought before the Nineteenth Century». In: Past and Present 160 (1998), p. 64-115.
• Koshar, Rudy. Histories of Leisure (2002).
• Levinson, David, and Karen Christensen. Encyclopedia of world sport: from ancient times to the present (Oxford UP, 1999).
• Marrus, Michael R. The Emergence of Leisure. New York 1974
• Poser, Stefan: Leisure Time and Technology, European History Online, Mainz: Institute of European History, 2011, retrieved: 25 October 2011.
• Stearns, Peter N. ed. Encyclopedia of European social history from 1350 to 2000 (2001) 5:3-261; 18 essays by experts
• Struna, Nancy L. People of Prowess Sport Leisure and Labor in Early Anglo-America (1996) excerpt
• Towner, John, and Geoffrey Wall. «History and tourism.» Annals of Tourism Research 18.1 (1991): 71–84. online
• Towner, John. «The Grand Tour: a key phase in the history of tourism.» Annals of tourism research 12#3 (1985): 297–333.
• Turcot, Laurent Sports et Loisirs. Une histoire des origines à nos jours, Paris, Gallimard, 2016.
• Turcot, Laurent «The origins of Leisure», International Innovation, April 2016 [2]
• Walton, John K. Leisure in Britain, 1780-1939 (1983).
• Withey, Lynne. Grand Tours and Cook’s Tours: A history of leisure travel, 1750 to 1915 (1997).

Historiography[edit]

• Akyeampong, Emmanuel, and Charles Ambler. «Leisure in African history: An introduction.» International journal of African historical studies 35#1 (2002): 1-16.
• Mommaas, Hans, et al. Leisure research in Europe: methods and traditions (Cab international, 1996), on France, Poland, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, and the UK.
• Ritter, Gerhard A (1978). «Workers’ culture in Imperial Germany: problems and points of departure for research». Journal of Contemporary History. 13 (2): 165–189. doi:10.1177/002200947801300201. JSTOR 260112. S2CID 144905527.
• Schiller, Kay; Young, Christopher (2009). «The history and historiography of sport in Germany: Social, cultural and political perspectives». German History. 27 (3): 313–330. doi:10.1093/gerhis/ghp029.

External links[edit]

• Leisure
• Peter Burke, The invention of leisure in early modern Europe, Past & Present, February 1995
• The Development of Leisure Amongst the Social Classes During the Industrial Revolution
• «The Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP)». The Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP). Retrieved 17 February 2016.
• «Leisure Perspective». My Nephew’s Take on Leisure (SMD). Retrieved 19 September 2016.

What leisure means?

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.

What Latin word derives the word leisure which means free or unoccupied?

vacation – Coming from Latin vacation/vacatio, from vacare, “to be free, empty; to be at leisure,” around 1395, this term entered Old English, meaning “rest and freedom from any activity.”

What is leisure According to Oxford dictionary?

noun. mass noun. 1Time when one is not working or occupied; free time.

What does the title Leisure means?

1. freedom from the demands of work or duty. She looked forward to retirement and a life of leisure. 2. time free from the demands of work or duty, when one can rest, enjoy hobbies or sports, etc.

What is the best definition of leisure?

noun. freedom from the demands of work or duty: She looked forward to retirement and a life of leisure. time free from the demands of work or duty, when one can rest, enjoy hobbies or sports, etc.: Most evenings he had the leisure in which to follow his interests. unhurried ease: a work written with leisure and grace.

What are the two types of leisure?

The total leisure time indicator is the sum of two categories of leisure: active leisure time and passive leisure time. Physical leisure, which encompasses sports and exercise. Passive leisure is the time that people spend at home in activities that are relaxing and that require little effort.

What is the most popular leisure activity?

Bureau of Labor Statistics Watching TV was the leisure activity that occupied the most time, accounting for just over half of all leisure time, on average. Men spent 3 hours per day watching TV, while women spent 2.6 hours.

What are leisure time activities called?

Because leisure time is free from compulsory activities such as employment, running a business, household chores, education and other such day-to-day stresses, not including eating, and sleeping, it is often referred to as “free time.” This category is for leisure activities such as those one voluntarily spends away …

Who is the father of leisure?

De Grazia

What is the meaning of leisure time?

Leisure has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time. Free time is time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as eating and sleeping. Leisure as experience usually emphasizes dimensions of perceived freedom and choice.

Who is Howard Danford?

Howard G. Danford is Director of Physical Education and Recreation at Florida State University, Tallahassee. He has served as Associate Editor of the JOURNAL and is now AAHPER Vice- President-elect for Physical Education.

Is running a leisure activity?

Running is a popular and convenient leisure-time physical activity with a consistent growth, despite some public concerns about the possible harmful effects of running (1). It is well established that physical activity has substantial health benefits.

Is traveling a leisure activity?

Leisure travel is travel in which the primary motivation is to take a vacation from everyday life. Leisure travel is often characterized by staying in nice hotels or resorts, relaxing on beaches or in a room, or going on guided tours and experiencing local tourist attractions.

What is the meaning of leisure activities?

An activity chosen for pleasure, relaxation, or other emotional satisfaction, typically after work and other responsibilities are done.

What is the difference between play and leisure?

The principal difference separating the two is that leisure, even when marred by occasional negative experiences, is positive activity overall. It is activity that people want to do. On the other hand, play can sometimes be both disagreeable and unavoidable.

What is the purpose of leisure?

Leisure can be seen as an important tool that helps people cope with stress, and to maintain and promote their physical and mental health (Kleiber et al. 2002;Iwasaki 2003b; Trenberth 2005) . Leisure is also a way for people to adjust to and to deal with the stress of life (Iwasaki 2001;Iwasaki et al.

What is the importance of leisure?

The positive effects of leisure and play time include better problem solving, improved work ethic, and improved creativity. Outside of a work performance realm, quality leisure time has also been shown to help with wider psychological and cognitive wellbeing, physical health, and quality of life.

Is it important to spend your leisure time with them?

Spending time as a family is associated with better communication amongst family members and children. Spending family leisure time has more benefits than it may be taken for. These fun moments help family members’ emotional bonds stronger and make them relate even better.

What is the purpose of leisure education?

The essential goals of leisure education are (a) to obtain the necessary recreation participation skills, (b) to recognize the array of valuable opportuni- ties available during leisure time, and (c) to learn to make deci- sions regarding one’s own use of discretionary time that leads to personal satisfaction, health.

What is leisure as state of mind?

“Leisure is a state of mind; it is a way of being, of being at peace with oneself and what one is doing… Leisure has one and only one essential criterion, and that is the condition of perceived freedom. Any activity carried out freely without constraint or compulsion, may be considered to be leisure.

How is leisure related to time activity and state of mind?

Leisure is not just the time free from obligations or a fun activity. Leisure is a way of thinking. It’s A state of mind. This couple of weeks have been crazy hectic.

What are some examples of leisure activities?

Examples of leisure activities are bicycling, bowling, curling, horseback riding, golfing, hiking/walking, skating, skiing and swimming. However, not all leisure activities are sportive. Some people would rather spend their free time painting, drawing, reading, listening to music or meditating.

Is leisure and recreation the same?

Leisure time is any free time that can be used to pursue personal interests. Recreation is an individual’s preferred pleasurable and enjoyable activities in which they engage during leisure time.

What are the similarities and differences in leisure and recreation?

When used as nouns, leisure means freedom provided by the cessation of activities, whereas recreation means any activity, such as play, that amuses, diverts or stimulates.

What are the benefits of leisure and recreation?

Physical activity can also help:

• encourage social interaction.
• improve concentration and learning.
• increase personal confidence and self-awareness.
• reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.
• enhance self-esteem.
• improve quality of life.

Exercising is something most people do during their leisure or free time. Others exercise because it gives them pleasure. And several people derive «pleasure» from watching TV or browsing the Internet during their «leisure» hours.

«Leisure» means «doing nothing at all» or «resorting to fun, non-strenuous activities when free». «Pleasure» is «any activity or thing that invokes happiness or a sense of content». One can be at «leisure» or do nothing and still feel good. The feeling of gratification will, however, be missing.

«Leisure» and «pleasure» overlap each other in a few ways but are significantly different words altogether. Read on to learn more about the two terms, besides a host of additional information related to them, so you have a clear understanding of what the two truly denote.

What is «Leisure»?

The word «leisure» means «free time». It also means «doing things unhurriedly». Some of the words/phrases related to or synonymous with «leisure» include:

• Recreation
• Relaxation
• Spare time
• Idle hours
• Time off
• Vacant hour

Though the term «leisure» is primarily identified with «doing nothing at all», it could also mean doing things that are enjoyable – for instance, any kind of recreational activity.

The objective behind «being at leisure» is escaping responsibilities by doing nothing at all or doing things that are not related to work or what you do for a living. It’s disconnecting from everything, keeping both your professional and personal worries at bay momentarily. The activity is invariably more desirable than «work» as there’s no real effort involved.

A «leisure activity» is usually not physically or mentally taxing, but it is also not gratifying. It can be enjoyable, but it doesn’t afford a sense of «accomplishment». For example, watching TV is not real work, and it also does not evoke the perception of having completed a «task». But it’s certainly enjoyable.

There are exceptions to this rule, however. You can derive a sense of «attainment» out of leisure time, but that’s contingent on your interests or hobbies. For example, if you like to read books during your free time, the activity can be both enjoyable and give you the feeling of having done something useful.

How Long Can You Be at «Leisure»?

There is no set rule or time limits for being «leisurely». Some people may spend a few minutes or hours doing nothing, and there are others who could spend the entire day lying on their bed or couch. The actual time spent leisurely could depend on how physically and/or mentally stressed you feel.

Also, the more time you spend at leisure doesn’t directly translate as more enjoyment and gratification. It depends on the activities you indulge in. You may enjoy watching TV or listening to music during the initial hour or two. But if the activity extends, it may get monotonous and not be fun anymore. Similar is the case with reading a book, cooking or doing anything considered as «productive».

In short, the length at which you can be at leisure and enjoy the same depends on how long it takes you to breach your «pleasure» threshold. If you play casual video games throughout your free time, you may not be able to pull that off for very long – maybe an hour or two.

Benefits of Being «Leisurely»

There are multiple benefits attached to doing nothing at all or doing something fun in your free time. They include:

• Reduced stress and feelings of depression as your mind is relatively free or cut off from quotidian life.
• Physical leisure activities, such as playing an outdoor sport or walking on the beach, can improve your mental and physical health.
• A clear and calm mind will make you more efficient and productive when you get back to work.

Overall, taking time out from the humdrum now and again helps you feel a lot more connected to yourself, both emotionally and physically.

Using «Leisure» in Texts

The word «leisure» is a noun, but it can also be used as an adjective in texts. «Leisure hours», «leisure class», «a leisure jacket», etc., are some phrases that use the term as an adjective. The following are sentences using «leisure» as a noun:

• Polo is primarily a leisure sport.
• We earlier had a debate over the usage of leisure facilities.

Leisure is also used in idioms, such as «at leisure», which means «with unhinged or free time» or «slowly». For example:

• Due to his start-up failing, he is currently at leisure.
• Read the book at leisure.

The term «leisure» is invariably used in texts when referring to activities such as:

• Attending auctions
• Bicycling
• Bird watching
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Driving

There, however, is no hard and fast rule associated with using «leisure» in writings. If you feel the word fits in well in a given context, go ahead and use the term.

What is «Pleasure»?

«Pleasure» is «the feeling or state of being happy or pleased». It also denotes «a state of gratification».

People derive pleasure by indulging in activities they like. The pastime could be anything as simple as eating a bucket of their favorite fried chicken or something as far-fetched as mountain-climbing. The words «delight», «enjoyment», «joy», etc., are comparable to the term «pleasure».

«Delight» denotes «heightened pleasure». When a person is «delighted», they are usually expressive. However, an individual who is «pleased» is more likely to keep those feelings to themselves. The term «enjoyment» denotes «pleasurable satisfaction». The word coincides with «pleasure» more than most other synonyms of «pleasure». The feeling derived from finding shade on a sunny day can be either described as «pleasurable» or «enjoyable».

«Joy», on the other hand, is a feeling that’s beyond the state of delight. When a person is feeling joyful, they express it spontaneously or radiate with happiness. In other words, upon receiving a promotion at work, people are not «pleased» but feel «joyous».

Using the Word «Pleasure» in Texts

Generally, activities that most people resort to during their «leisure» hours offer «pleasure». However, there are specific activities that you could be sure of finding pleasure in. Those activities/things include:

• Watching your favorite sports team playing in the finale
• Taking a sip of coffee first thing in the morning (if you’re a coffee person)
• Spending time with a good friend after a break
• Traveling to your favorite destination
• Being super-productive at work or something you’re passionate about
• Hugging a kid
• Going on a drive with a loved one
• Having a wonderful meal

If you use the word «pleasure» to denote or describe an activity, make sure the endeavor or interest is «pleasurable» enough to qualify for the term. As mentioned above, «exercise» may afford some people pleasure, but it may be a chore or even a stress-inducing task for quite a few.

Comparing «Leisure» and «Pleasure»

As mentioned before, the words «leisure» and «pleasure» overlap each other quite a bit. However, there are a few differences between the two.

For starters, «leisure» denotes «not doing anything» or «being free». The word «pleasure» has no such connotations. In other words, «pleasure» doesn’t imply «taking time off». People can derive «pleasure» from their work, but they cannot or usually do not work during «leisure» time.

Also, as mentioned above, «pleasure» goes hand in hand with «gratification». The same cannot be said of «leisure». «Leisure» activities offer «frivolous amusement» or do not offer any value or have any serious purpose.

As far as similarities go, a «leisure» activity can make you feel good or not feel any strain. If «leisure» time is used productively or to serve one’s interests, the period can be stimulating and also «pleasurable».

Example Sentences with the Term «Leisure»

The following is a list of sentences that incorporate the term «leisure»:

• She pursued her interests during her leisure in the evenings.
• Leisure or vacation-related travel is usually considered non-essential.
• For the voter turnout to be substantial, it’s imperative the elections are conducted when the citizens are at leisure.
• The ban on leisure activities carried out indoors in public places is yet to be lifted.
• That guy, who is currently at leisure, is highly skilled and has loads of experience behind him.
• I do not have much leisure time at my disposal.
• Most people in the city spend most of their leisure hours shopping.
• He is looking forward to a leisure-filled life after he retires.
• She wrote that book during her leisure time.
• Is this dress casual enough to be worn during leisure?
• Unfortunately, most people spend the majority of their leisure hours on their phones or browsing the Internet.
• Only a wise person can use their leisure time, «productively».

Example Sentences with the Word «Pleasure»

Here are sentences using the word «pleasure» and some of its inflections:

• Hosting the Queen was our pleasure!
• I was pleased to meet him during a video call.
• I am sure you were pleased to learn that she felt attracted to you.
• Painting offers me pleasure.
• Tim’s parents were immensely pleased to see their son graduate from law school.
• Impulsive shopping offers me a feeling of high and pleasure that’s hard to explain.
• What is your guilty pleasure?
• His only pleasure activity was listening to music.
• People who live in cities and towns do not know how pleasurable country life can be.
• The pleasure was ours!
• Dinner with you is always a pleasure.

Conclusion

Unlike homonyms, «pleasure» and «leisure» have a reasonably distinct spelling and sound to them when pronounced. But because their meanings are similar or overlap each other, confusions may arise. This in-depth comparison hopefully helped you demarcate the two a lot more clearly and convincingly.

Last Updated:
12 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

— ‘And surely,’ he continues, ‘if the purpose be in good earnest, _not to write at leisure that which men may read at leisure_’ — note it — that which men may read at leisure — ‘but really to ❋ Delia Bacon (1835)

On all sides they trip along, buoyed up by animal spirits, and seemingly so void of care that often, when I am walking on the Boulevards, it occurs to me that they alone understand the full import of the term leisure; and they trifle their time away with such an air of contentment, I know not how to wish them wiser at the expense of gayety. ❋ Elizabeth Robins Pennell (1895)

On all sides they trip along, buoyed up by animal spirits, and seemingly so void of care, that often, when I am walking on the _Boulevards_, it occurs to me, that they alone understand the full import of the term leisure; and they trifle their time away with such an air of contentment, I know not how to wish them wiser at the expence of their gaiety. ❋ Mary Wollstonecraft (1778)

After his retirement from business, Franklin enjoyed seven years of what he called leisure, but they were years of study and application; years of happiness and sweet content, but years of aspiration and an earnest looking into the future. ❋ Hubbard, Elbert, 1856-1915 (1916)

Bejing — BAY-jing (there is no sounds such as found in ‘leisure‘ in Chinese) ❋ Newmania (2007)

It’s a wider societal issue, where leisure is very much valued and work habits are not necessarily reinforced in the way that they were in the past. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Hours of leisure is a real metric, and all those ‘lousy gadgets’ have freed people up from hundreds of hours of scrubbing pots, washing clothes, hanging linen, watching the stove, typing letters, etc. ❋ Unknown (2010)

To sin in haste and repent at leisure is not a privilege available to the public servant. ❋ Unknown (2009)

To make hippocras: Take a gallon of claret of white wine, and put therein four ounces of ginger, an ounce and a half of nutmegs, of cloves one quarter, of sugar four pound; let all this stand together in a pot at least twelve hours, then take it, and put it into a clean bag made for the purpose, so that the wine may come with good leisure from the spices. ❋ Unknown (2009)

In that light, the performance of France (and of the European Union in general) does not look so bad: A much higher rate of growth of productivity than the U.S., and, as one might expect given that leisure is a normal good, the allocation of part of that increase to increased income, and part to increased leisure. ❋ Unknown (2009)

We’ve converged upon log-utility and rational choice as the explanation for the observed variations in leisure … ❋ Unknown (2009)

It does not mean they need to work all the time, but that even in leisure, there has to be a value to it. ❋ Unknown (2009)

This re-evaluation of the time I spend on the journal was prompted by word of a new study regarding the amount of time that Americans spend «working» vs. «playing,» which shows a substantial drop in leisure time since 1973. ❋ Greygirlbeast (2008)

Time spent on research is time not spent in leisure reading, and since, as we’ve already established, I have a limited amount of time to begin with, that often means that pleasure reading simply doesn’t make the cut. ❋ Prof. De Breeze (2008)

Luke: *lying on couch*
[Calum]: Oh looks like we’ve caught Luke in his Leisure time.
Luke: I’m just [Leisuring] out.
[5sos] fan: *lies on couch with feet in air*
Person: What are you doing?
5sos fan: oh, you know, just [leisuring] ❋ Can’t Think Of A Name (2013)

[I like] taking leisurely [walks] in [the park]. ❋ Gamer911 (2019)

«If everyone would put [leisurism] into their life, the world would be [in a better place] and people would be less angry and upset and more happy and relaxed.
see [Leisurist] ❋ ChristheProfessor (2012)

I saw Leisure open for [cKy] in [Dallas] Texas, they [rocked the house]. ❋ Jeffgw0 (2003)

Guy 1: «[Did that] guy just say ‘You’re probably [my new best friend]?'»
Guy 2: «Yes he did.»
Guy 1: «That’s a [leisure sentence].» ❋ Jamal Rakens (2010)

Example: [CONSUMER] ALERT: Are our [Christmas Time] Suicide [Balloons] safe? ❋ JerGoertz (2004)

«Should I pick up a [six pack] of [Natty] on the way over?» «Nah bro, plenty of leisure beer [in the fridge]» ❋ Wordzmithz (2016)

[I’m a lady] of [leisure] this week; [I don’t need to] be back at work until Monday. ❋ Time4tea (2017)

[Can I] [leisure centre] you?
Yes [pls]! ❋ CubicAtom (2023)

After making rediculous amounts of money by selling his design to a large company, Tom now [fancies] himself a [gentleman of leisure]. He spends most days hanging around the pool reading The Wall Street Journal, and spends his nights at the club either drinking with ladies or playing high [stakes] poker in the back room. ❋ ALWXXX (2011)