# playtime

/plˈeɪtaɪm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/playtime
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. school break

noun · CEFR A2 · British English

a break during the school day when children go outside to play.

For teachers: a scheduled interval during the school day for children to engage in outdoor recreation.

- The children ran outside as soon as the bell rang for morning playtime.
- The headteacher decided to extend morning playtime by ten minutes as a reward for the students' hard work during the assembly.

Usage: Commonly used in British and Australian English where American English uses 'recess'.

### 2. general recreation

noun · CEFR B1

time set aside for fun and games rather than work.

For teachers: time allocated for diversion, play, or non-serious activity.

- It is important for puppies to have plenty of playtime with other dogs.
- The developmental psychologist emphasized that unstructured playtime is as critical for cognitive growth as formal classroom instruction.

### 3. recording duration

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the total length of time a video, song, or film lasts.

For teachers: the total temporal duration of a piece of recorded media.

- The total playtime of the album is just under forty minutes.
- Although the director's cut features an extended playtime, many critics felt the additional scenes slowed the narrative pace significantly.

### 4. lack of seriousness

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a period when people are not being serious or professional.

For teachers: a figurative duration characterized by a lack of commitment, professional rigour, or seriousness.

- The manager told the team that playtime was over and they had to focus.
- The CEO made it clear that playtime was over; the company needed to show a profit by the end of the quarter.

Usage: Often used in the idiomatic phrase 'playtime is over' to signal a return to serious work.

Teaching tip: This sense is almost always used to warn someone that they must start behaving professionally.

## Examples

- The children have plenty of playtime after school.
- After finishing the report, I took a short playtime to clear my head and relax.
- The curriculum is designed to balance rigorous academic study with ample playtime, ensuring that young learners develop both cognitive skills and social-emotional resilience.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.