Leisure is any free time spent away from work and other commitments. This could include activities such as reading, painting, playing games or engaging in sports.
People select particular forms of leisure for a variety of reasons, including social relationships and emotional value. For instance, amateur astronomers may seek to have virtual experiences by gazing upon the stars; musicians seek personal and public admiration.
Meaning
The definition of leisure is “freedom from obligations or work.” It can also refer to an activity that isn’t part of one’s regular schedule.
Leisure experiences provide people with satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment, and pleasure. It’s an emotional state of mind; whether an experience qualifies as leisure depends on factors like intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, and positive affect.
Intrinsic motivation is important as it comes from within and does not depend on external stimuli or rewards. Perceived competence refers to one’s skill level and their perception of their capacity for participating in an activity.
Finally, positive affect is the final component of leisure. It describes how people experience enjoyment when engaging in an activity and can be caused by a sense of choice or control over what transpires during the process. As such, positive affect is considered by some to be the most subjective of all three ways to define leisure.
Origin
Leisure is a time to relax, unwind, and unwind from daily tasks. This period is commonly referred to as “free time.”
In many countries, leisure is seen as an essential social activity and even a basic human right.
The earliest definition of leisure was given by Webster’s Dictionary in 1892 as “freedom from occupation; vacant time; opportunity; convenience; ease.”
This common interpretation of leisure does not accurately capture its true essence. Rather than outlining what an activity is, leisure is defined subjectively based on one’s perception of being free or intrinsically motivated.
Around the world, people enjoy a range of leisure activities in their free moments. These can range from casual to serious activities that require different levels of skill and knowledge.
Synonyms
Leisure is often described using various words. These include relaxation, spare time, free time and recreation – all of which appear in similar contexts and can be confusing for non-native English speakers.
Leisure is generally understood to be any activity that one enjoys doing, from spending time at the beach to reading a book or playing tennis. It could range from taking an enjoyable stroll down memory lane to doing something creative or learning something new.
Synonyms for the word leisure include:
When selecting synonyms for the word leisure, it’s essential to take into account the context. For instance, “lounge” is often used as a verb when referring to an area where people go to relax and socialize; on the other hand, “windsailing” tends to appear more in newspaper articles about sailing than as an adjective.
Usage
Leisure is any free time people take away from work, school or other responsibilities. It could be a period of relaxation or it could involve engaging in an activity such as windsailing, golfing or crocheting a portrait of Betsy Ross. Examples of leisure activities include windsailing, golfing and crocheting portraits for Betsy Ross’.
Leisure can be described in three primary ways: as a state of mind, activity and time. The first definition involves intrinsic motivation and the freedom to choose. Furthermore, the experience must present challenges appropriate to the participant’s skill level.
The second category, defined as an activity, is a more general concept that encompasses various activities people engage in to unwind, compete, or grow. Unfortunately, this definition fails to take into account how someone feels during the activity – making it difficult for some individuals to determine whether it counts as leisure time or not.
