relaxation

[ree-lak-sey-shuhn]

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.

relaxation

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• nonrelaxation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of relaxation¹

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

It was the height of relaxation—until I was broken from my trance by a test of the ship’s fire-alarm system.

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Even the good times can make you yearn for the quiet relaxation of a hotel room with concierge service.

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After Taiwan's relaxation, only China, Hong Kong, Macau, Russia, and South Korea have specific import control measures for Japanese food products, the agency said.

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Before IV Waste took over, he said, his clients were often hit with the smell of urine as they walked out the business’ front door, ruining whatever relaxation their massage had achieved.

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“I really liked that. It made for this ease of workflow and collaboration and eating and relaxation.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• enjoyment 
• leisure 
• loosening www.thesaurus.com
• mitigation 
• pleasure 
• recreation 
• relief