spare time

American  

[spair tahym] / ˈspɛər ˈtaɪm /

noun

1. time that is free from the demands of work or other obligations; free time.

   To supplement his income from farming, Mike began making mechanical chicken pluckers in his spare time.

   In her spare time, my aunt does a lot of community volunteer work.

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Etymology

Origin of spare time

First recorded in 1565–75

Example Sentences

In his spare time, he obsesses about where to find the perfect slice of New York-style pizza.Follow him on Twitter @CharlesPassy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Simon majored in accounting at Indiana University, where he spent his spare time reading, attending Hoosiers basketball games and pursuing fellow student Jacqueline Freed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Madigan was born in Chicago on September 11, 1950 to a journalist father and a mother who worked as an administrative assistant and did community theater in her spare time.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

Those who flocked to Dawson Leery were the sort who spent their spare time at after-school club events and hamburger stands.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2026

I now had unexpected spare time, which I used for reading, preparing my speech for the conference, and hiking the wild and beautiful hills above the town.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• convenience
• recreation
• relaxation