[syn: liberalization, liberalisation, relaxation]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Relaxation \Re`lax*a"tion\ (r?`l?ks-?"sh?n;277), n. [L.
relaxatio; cf. F. relaxation.]
1. The act or process of relaxing, or the state of being
relaxed; as, relaxation of the muscles; relaxation of a
law.
[1913 Webster]
2. Remission from attention and effort; indulgence in
recreation, diversion, or amusement. "Hours of careless
relaxation." --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
relaxation
n 1: (physiology) the gradual lengthening of inactive muscle or
muscle fibers
2: (physics) the exponential return of a system to equilibrium
after a disturbance [syn: relaxation, relaxation
behavior]
3: a feeling of refreshing tranquility and an absence of tension
or worry; "the easiness we feel when sleeping" [syn:
easiness, relaxation]
4: an occurrence of control or strength weakening; "the
relaxation of requirements"; "the loosening of his grip";
"the slackening of the wind" [syn: relaxation, loosening,
slackening]
5: freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility);
"took his repose by the swimming pool" [syn: rest, ease,
repose, relaxation]
6: a method of solving simultaneous equations by guessing a
solution and then reducing the errors that result by
successive approximations until all the errors are less than
some specified amount [syn: relaxation, relaxation
method]
7: the act of making less strict [syn: liberalization,
liberalisation, relaxation]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
129 Moby Thesaurus words for "relaxation":
abatement, abridgment, allayment, alleviation, amusement,
assuagement, attenuation, attrition, bagginess, blunting, calming,
carelessness, comfort, contraction, cushioning, dampening, damping,
deadening, debilitation, decrease, decrement, decrescence,
deduction, deflation, demulsion, depreciation, depression,
devitalization, dilution, diminishment, diminution, diversion,
divertisement, divertissement, dulcification, dulling, dying,
dying off, ease, easiness, easing, easygoingness, effemination,
enervation, enfeeblement, enjoyment, entertainment, evisceration,
exhaustion, extenuation, fade-out, falling-off, fatigue, fun,
hushing, impotence, imprecision, inactivity, inanition,
indifference, languishment, laxation, laxity, laxness, leisure,
leniency, lessening, letdown, letup, lightening, looseness,
loosening, lowering, lulling, mellowing, miniaturization, mirth,
mitigation, moderation, modulation, mollification, mollifying,
negligence, overindulgence, overpermissiveness, pacification,
padding, palliation, passe-temps, pastime, permissiveness,
pleasure, quiet, quietening, quieting, recreation, reduction,
regalement, relaxedness, relief, remission, remissness, repose,
rest, restfulness, ricketiness, sagging, scaling down, shakiness,
simplicity, slackening, slackness, sleep, sloppiness, softening,
softening-up, softness, solace, soothing, subduement, subtraction,
tempering, thinning, tranquilization, tranquillity,
unbuttoned ease, unrestraint, weakening, weakness