spare time

[ spair tahym ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spare time¹

First recorded in 1565–75

Example Sentences

The number of volunteers will vary, depending on who has spare time that day.

From BBC

In his spare time at Tom Anderson, where he was able to use machines he didn’t have at home at the time, he developed more clock designs, maintaining a consistent mid-century aesthetic with quirky shapes such as pyramids, avocados, eyes, stadiums and televisions.

From Los Angeles Times

But this team is a decentralized crew of volunteers, many of whom are older folks doing this in their spare time.

From Slate

Now, all of that detective work can fall to anyone with spare time.

From Slate

Cabinet minister Steve Reed said Labour had not funded or organised their trips, while Sir Keir told reporters the activists travelled "in their spare time".

From BBC

Related Words

• convenience
• recreation
• relaxation