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Definition of recreation noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

     

    recreation

     noun
    noun
    NAmE//ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃn//
     
     
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  1. 1[uncountable] the fact of people doing things for enjoyment, when they are not working the need to improve facilities for leisure and recreation the increasing use of land for recreation
  2. 2[countable] a particular activity that someone does when they are not working synonym hobby, pastime His recreations include golf, football, and fishing. Thesaurusentertainment
    • fun
    • recreation
    • relaxation
    • play
    • pleasure
    • amusement
    These are all words for things or activities used to entertain people when they are not working.
    • entertainment movies, television, music, etc. used to entertain people:The club offers live entertainment seven nights a week.
    • fun (somewhat informal) behavior or activities that are not serious but come from a sense of enjoyment:I took an art class just for the fun of it. The lottery provides harmless fun for millions.
    • recreation (somewhat formal) things people do for enjoyment when they are not working:His only form of recreation is playing basketball.
    • relaxation (somewhat formal) things people do to rest and enjoy themselves when they are not working; the ability to relax:I go hiking for relaxation.
    recreation or relaxation?
    • Both these words can be used for a wide range of activities, physical and mental, but relaxation is sometimes used for gentler activities than recreation:I play the flute in a wind band for recreation. I listen to music for relaxation.
    • play things that people, especially children, do for enjoyment rather than as work:the importance of learning through play
    • pleasure the activity of enjoying yourself, especially in contrast to working:Are you in Paris for business or pleasure?
    • amusement (somewhat formal) the fact of being entertained by something:What do you do for amusement around here?
    Patterns
    • to do something for entertainment/fun/recreation/relaxation/pleasure/amusement
    • to provide entertainment/fun/recreation/relaxation/amusement
See recreation in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary