relaxation
Americannoun
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abatement or relief from bodily or mental work, effort, application, etc.
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an activity or recreation that provides such relief; diversion; entertainment.
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a loosening or slackening.
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diminution or remission of strictness or severity.
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Mathematics. a numerical procedure for solving systems of equations by successive approximations of the variables.
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Physics.
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the return of a system undergoing dissipation to an initial state of equilibrium after being displaced from it.
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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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noun
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rest or refreshment, as after work or effort; recreation
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a form of rest or recreation
his relaxation is cricket
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a partial lessening of a punishment, duty, etc
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the act of relaxing or state of being relaxed
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physics the return of a system to equilibrium after a displacement from this state
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maths a method by which errors resulting from an approximation are reduced by using new approximations
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of relaxation
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin relaxātiōn- (stem of relaxātiō ), equivalent to relaxāt ( us ) (past participle of relaxāre to relax; see -ate 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The noun relaxation describes the act of making something less strict. If your boss announces a relaxation of the company dress code, that means lots of happy people will be wearing jeans to work. Relaxation carries many shades of meaning. It can describe being free from responsibility, like a relaxation of your usual obligations that comes while you're on vacation. The feeling of rest and peacefulness that can come from this freedom is also called relaxation. It comes from Latin: re- means "again," laxare means "loosen," and the suffix -ation means "the state of." So relaxation is the state of loosening something again.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the same month Harborne donated a record £9m to Reform, relaxation of US stablecoin regulation drove up the value of his stake in Tether by several billion dollars.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Sea days present two choices for cruisers: utter relaxation or your choice of nonstop activities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
For those who prefer relaxation over recreation, there are multiple outdoor seating areas, almost all of which offer beautiful views over the water.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
“Performing well is still very much there, but there is a level of relaxation that makes it easier.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
“Your symptoms were those of a person who has resisted the relaxation phase of dothe.”
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
"It has a mechanical activity -- the contractions and relaxations that pump blood through our body -- coupled to an electrical signal that controls that activity."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 22, 2024
Experts have suggested a smattering of possible reasons for the increased rates, such as relaxations in social distancing and masking, increased exposure as a result of vacation travel and waning immunity from past vaccinations.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 14, 2023
UKHospitality, an industry group, said the "practical" Covid-era relaxations had helped some businesses to boost sales.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2023
The promise of big-bang stimulus, which has hitherto been a stop-go mix of one rate cut and some loan relaxations for the property and state sectors, is now drawing some investors in.
From Reuters ● Jul. 19, 2023
Certain relaxations are, however, allowed in consideration of the difficulty of absolutely avoiding all deviation from the strict rules laid down.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
