relaxation

American  

[ree-lak-sey-shuhn] / ˌri lækˈseɪ ʃən /

noun

1. abatement or relief from bodily or mental work, effort, application, etc.

2. an activity or recreation that provides such relief; diversion; entertainment.

   Synonyms:

   pleasure, amusement, fun

3. a loosening or slackening.

4. diminution or remission of strictness or severity.

5. Mathematics. a numerical procedure for solving systems of equations by successive approximations of the variables.

6. Physics.

   1. the return of a system undergoing dissipation to an initial state of equilibrium after being displaced from it.

   2. the approach to steady-state operation of a system that has undergone dissipation and a change in state or has been subjected to an abrupt periodic disturbance.

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relaxation British  

/ ˌriːlækˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. rest or refreshment, as after work or effort; recreation

2. a form of rest or recreation

   his relaxation is cricket

3. a partial lessening of a punishment, duty, etc

4. the act of relaxing or state of being relaxed

5. physics the return of a system to equilibrium after a displacement from this state

6. maths a method by which errors resulting from an approximation are reduced by using new approximations

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Other Word Forms

• nonrelaxation noun

Etymology

Origin of relaxation

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin relaxātiōn- (stem of relaxātiō ), equivalent to relaxāt ( us ) (past participle of relaxāre to relax; -ate ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Instead, Nguyen captures moments of levity, relaxation and cooperation within BTS.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Americans who thought spring break would offer rest and relaxation after a tough winter may be in for a rude awakening.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026

Mousavi himself has a thorough list of supplements he takes each day: creatine for muscle building, lion's mane mushrooms to help focus, ashwagandha for stress reduction, and reishi mushrooms in the evening for relaxation.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

The new approach relies on a fast classical controller that updates its estimate of a qubit's relaxation rate within milliseconds.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

I thought about stretching out on the bed, but I remembered Daisy Mae was outside and part of the relaxation was having her curl up beside me.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

• enjoyment
• leisure
• loosening
• mitigation
• pleasure
• recreation
• relief