Luxury

/ˈlʌkʃəri/

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A state of great comfort, especially involving great expense.

/ˈlʌkʃəri/

nounpositiveBeginner
General

A state of great comfort or opulence.

The yacht offered the ultimate in luxury.

💡 Simply: Luxury is like having all the really nice, fancy things that make life super comfy and special, like a giant chocolate cake or a soft, fluffy bed. It's about enjoying the best of everything!

👶 For kids: Luxury is when you have really nice things that are fun to have.

More Examples

2

They enjoyed the luxury of a private chef.

3

He lived in a house of incredible luxury.

How It's Used

Travel

"The hotel offered luxurious accommodations with a private beach."

Consumer Goods

"She indulged in the luxury of a designer handbag."

2

Something expensive that is pleasant to have but not essential; a form of indulgence.

/ˈlʌkʃəri/

nounneutralmedium
General

Something that is desirable but not essential.

A second car is often considered a luxury.

💡 Simply: Sometimes, we have things that are nice to have but not super important, like a new video game or a special toy. These things are a luxury because they make us happy but we can still live without them.

👶 For kids: A luxury is something you like to have but you don't really need.

More Examples

2

Eating out regularly is a luxury for most families.

3

A spa day is a great luxury.

How It's Used

Lifestyle

"For many, a vacation is a luxury."

Economics

"In times of economic hardship, people often cut back on luxuries."

Tip:Luxury is beyond necessities – the extra enjoyable bits of life.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

a life of luxury

A lifestyle filled with expensive things and comforts; ease and abundance.

"The heiress was accustomed to a life of luxury."

luxury tax

A tax on items that are considered to be non-essential goods and services, such as expensive cars, yachts, or designer items.

"The government introduced a luxury tax on expensive cars to raise revenue."

From Latin *luxuria* meaning 'excess, extravagance, abundance'. It evolved to encompass comfort and opulence.

The word 'luxury' has evolved over time. Early uses emphasized excess and extravagance, but modern use often highlights comfort and high quality.

Memory tip

Think of a *lucky* person with *riches*. Lucky + riches = Luxury

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"excess, extravagance, abundance"

a life of luxuryluxury goodsluxury carluxury hotelabsolute luxuryluxury tax

Common misspellings

luxeryluxeryluxary

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written