What does "exercise" mean?
Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
Exercise
/ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
- Grammar: exercise is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: drill, practice, use, workout.
- Useful contrasts: answer key, forfeit, idle.
- Usage evidence: To be an interesting person you have to feed and exercise your mind.
How to use "exercise"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "exercise" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "exercise" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "exercise" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "exercise" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "exercise" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "drill" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "exercise", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability. countable
"The teacher told us that the next exercise is to write an essay."
- 2 an action, often used negatively and without consequences wordnet
- 3 Activity intended to improve physical, or sometimes mental, strength and fitness. countable, uncountable
"Swimming is good exercise."
- 4 the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit wordnet
- 5 A setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use. countable, uncountable
"The law guarantees us the free exercise of our rights."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a task performed or problem solved in order to develop skill or understanding wordnet
- 7 The performance of an office, ceremony, or duty. countable, uncountable
"I assisted the ailing vicar in the exercise of his parish duties."
- 8 systematic training by multiple repetitions wordnet
- 9 That which gives practice; a trial; a test. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"But patience is more oft the exerciſe / Of Saints, the trial of thir fortitude,"
- 10 the act of using wordnet
- 11 (usually plural) a ceremony that involves processions and speeches wordnet
Verb
- 1 To exert for the sake of training or improvement; to practice in order to develop.
"to exercise troops or horses; to exercise one's brain with a puzzle"
- 2 do physical exercise wordnet
- 3 To perform physical activity for health or training. intransitive
"I exercise at the gym every day."
- 4 give a workout to wordnet
- 5 To use (a right, an option, etc.); to put into practice. transitive
"exercise caution"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 learn by repetition wordnet
- 7 To occupy the attention and effort of; to task; to tax, especially in a painful or vexatious manner; harass; to vex; to worry or make anxious.
"exercised with pain"
- 8 put to use wordnet
- 9 To set in action; to cause to act, move, or make exertion; to give employment to. obsolete
"And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men."
- 10 carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions wordnet
Example
"To be an interesting person you have to feed and exercise your mind."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "exercise"?
Common synonyms include: drill, practice, use, workout, abrade, absolute music.
How do you use "exercise" in a sentence?
To be an interesting person you have to feed and exercise your mind.
How do you pronounce "exercise"?
Pronounced /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/.
Etymology
From Middle English exercise, from Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium.