athleisure

noun

ath·​lei·​sure ˈath-ˌlē-zhər 

-ˌle-, 

-ˌlā-

nonstandard ˈa-thə-

: casual clothing designed to be worn both for exercising and for general use

Of course, athleisure has lately become a fashion buzzword, a term intended to embrace the kind of clothing that a woman might be able to wear at work, to the gym, and then to dinner.

—Rob Haskell

—often used before another noun

Athleisure gear has reportedly unseated denim as the go-to clothing item of choice for teens.

—Nedra Rhone

Examples of athleisure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In keeping with my love of athleisure, this skort is so springtime for me. —Alexandra Pereira, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2026

Loose, retro athleisure is back in vogue, and the relaxed bottoms have reemerged to take the place of leggings in our active and off-duty wardrobes. —India Roby, Glamour, 23 Apr. 2026

Lululemon’s shares dropped 11% Thursday after the athleisure brand picked Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO, an indication the market knows what everyone in the retail business already did. —Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026

Courtesy: Lululemon Lululemon on Wednesday named Heidi O’Neill as the athleisure company's new CEO, effective Sept. 8. —Laya Neelakandan,gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

blend of athlete and leisure

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for athleisure

• displeasure
• countermeasure
• leisure
• measure
• pleasure
• treasure

Kids Definition

athleisure

noun

ath·​lei·​sure ˈath-ˌlē-zhər 

-ˌle-, 

-ˌlā-

: casual clothing designed to be worn both for exercising and for general use