athleisure

IPA/æθˈleʒ.ər/
IPA/æθˈliː.ʒɚ/

athleisure — noun

1. a modern fashion trend in which comfortable, sporty clothing designed for exerci

1.nounB2
Definition

a modern fashion trend in which comfortable, sporty clothing designed for exercise — such as leggings, joggers, and trainers — is also worn as everyday casual wear for work, shopping, or socialising.

Example

The company relaxed its dress code to allow athleisure, so staff now wear yoga pants and trainers to the office.

dress code + athleisure in workplace context

Major sportswear brands now produce athleisure collections that blend sweat-resistant fabrics with fashionable cuts.

collocation: athleisure collections

Common collocations
  • athleisure wear
  • athleisure collection
  • athleisure trend
  • athleisure brand
  • athleisure look
Synonyms
  • activewear

    broader term covering any clothing for physical activity, not necessarily stylish enough for everyday wear

  • sportswear

    focuses on performance and team sports rather than fashion-meets-function

  • streetwear

    overlaps in casual look but rooted in skate and hip-hop culture, not athletic function

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — cannot be used with 'a' or in the plural. Often combines with other nouns to form a modifier (athleisure wear, athleisure look, athleisure brand).

Common Mistakes

She bought a new athleisure.
She bought some new athleisure wear.
athleisure is uncountable and cannot take 'a'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Athleisure, activewear, sportswear, and streetwear all describe casual clothing, but they differ in origin and focus. Activewear is the broadest category — any garment made for physical activity, whether or not it looks fashionable. Sportswear traditionally refers to team-sport uniforms and performance gear from brands like Nike or Adidas. Streetwear emerged from skateboarding and hip-hop culture; it is loose, graphic-heavy, and often branded, but not necessarily designed for exercise. Athleisure sits at the intersection: it is sporty enough to work out in yet stylish enough for a coffee shop or a casual office. For example, a pair of sleek leggings with a zipped hoodie could be athleisure; the same leggings worn under a running singlet would be pure activewear.

activewear ↗sportswear ↗streetwear

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

EnglishEnglish

A blend of 'athletic' and 'leisure', first recorded in the late 1970s but widely used from the 2010s as casual sportswear became mainstream fashion.

First known use

1976

1976, in the meaning defined above