Leisure is free time when you're not working, studying, or handling responsibilities. It's the time you get to choose what to do: reading a book you enjoy, playing basketball with friends, building with LEGO bricks, or just daydreaming in your backyard.

The word carries a sense of relaxation and pleasure. When you finish your homework and chores, your leisure time begins. You might spend it however you want: pursuing hobbies, playing games, or doing nothing in particular. People throughout history have valued leisure differently. Ancient Greek philosophers believed leisure time was essential for thinking and learning. Roman citizens enjoyed elaborate public baths and entertainment during their leisure hours.

Today, people often say they're doing something at their leisure, meaning when it's convenient and unhurried. If your teacher says you can read the extra chapter at your leisure, she means there's no deadline or pressure.

Leisurely describes doing something in a slow, relaxed way, like taking a leisurely walk through the park instead of rushing. The opposite of leisure is work or obligation: those things you must do rather than choose to do. Having some leisure in your life gives you space to rest, play, create, and become yourself.