Quick Definition
the faculty or experience of enjoyment
Strong's Definition
full enjoyment
Derivation: from a comparative of G575 (ἀπό) and (to enjoy);
KJV Usage: enjoy(-ment)
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀπόλαυσις, ἀπολαυσεως, ἡ (from ἀπολαύω to enjoy), enjoyment (Latinfructus): 1Ti_6:17 (εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν to enjoy); Heb_11:25 (ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν, pleasure born of sin). (In Greek writings from (Euripides and) Thucydides down.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἀπόλαυσις apolausis 2x
beneficial participation, 1Ti_6:17 ;
enjoyment, pleasure, Heb_11:25
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** ἀπόλαυσις , -εως , ἡ
( < ἀπολαύω , to take of, enjoy a thing),
[in LXX : 3Ma_7:16 * ;]
enjoyment: 1Ti_6:17 , Heb_11:26 (for late exx ., v. MM , s.v. ).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀπόλαυσις [page 65]
OGIS 383 .11 ff. (Commagene inscription, i/B.C.) οὐ μόνον κτῆσιν βεβαιοτάτην , ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπόλαυσιν ἡδίστην ἀνθρώποις ἐνόμισα τὴν εὐσέβειαν , ib. .150 κοινὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ἑορτῆς παρεχέτω , ib. 669 .8 (i/A.D.) τά τε πρὸς σωτηρίαν καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἀπόλαυσιν , IG XII. iii. 326 .12 (Thera, time of Antonines) πρὸς [ἀπ ]όλαυσιν . Cf. εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν in Didache 10 .3 . A derived adjective occurs in Vettius Valens p. 15 .24 αἱ δὲ ἑξῆς ε̄ ( sc. μοῖραι ) Ἀφροδίτης εὐκρατότεραι ἀνειμέναι πολύσοφοι ἀπολαυστικαί , given to enjoyment.
For the verb cf. OGIS 669 .3 (i/A.D.) τὴν πόλιν ἀπολαύουσαν τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἃς ἔχει κτλ ., P Fay 125 .10 ff. (ii/A.D.) εὔχομαι [γὰρ ] μείζονος ἀξίας γενέσθαι [ἀφ᾽ ο ]ὗ ἀπολαύομεν τῶν δώ [ρων ], for I hope to be better off now that we are enjoying presents (?) (Edd.), BGU I 248 .14 (iii/A.D.) τῶν ἠθῶν σου ἀπολαῦσαι , P Oxy I 41 .8 (iii/iv A.D.) πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύομεν . The sepulchral inscr., Preisigke 2004, Αντωνεῖνε , πάντων ἀπέλο̣υσας , must presumably mean ἀπέλαυσας . Syll 891 .19 a curious funeral inscription composed for a heathen by a proselyte, who quotes the LXX μηδὲ καρπῶν ἀπολαύοι . CPHerm 119 verso iii. 16 (iii/A.D.), where Aelius Asclepiades receives ἄφεσις from public services from Gallienus ἵν ]α δ̣ι̣ὰ τὴν [τῶν προγόνων ] ἀρετὴν ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς ἐμῆς φιλανθρωπίας .
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ἀπόλαυσις [Etym: ἀπολαύω] "enjoyment, fruition", Thuc. , Arist. c. gen. "advantage got from" a thing, Xen. ; ἀπόλαυσιν εἰκοῦς (acc. absol.) "as a reward for" your resemblance, Eur.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ἀπόλαυσις, -εως, ἡ
(ἀπολαύω, to take of, enjoy a thing) [in LXX: 3Ma.7:16 * ;]
enjoyment: 1Ti.6:17, Heb.11:26 (for late exx., see MM, see word).†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Enjoy...pleasures (619) apolausis
Enjoy...pleasures (619) (apolausis from the verb apolauo = to take of or to enjoy) (only here and in 1Ti 6:17) means to have enjoyment of something, to have the benefit of something and so enjoying it.
Zodhiates says apolausis "denotes the cleaving or adherence of the mind or affection to an object." (Zodhiates - The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament)
In 1Ti 6:17 Paul uses apolausis to describe the act of enjoying and here in Hebrews the meaning is more the source of enjoyment.
In secular Greek we find the phrase "eis apolausis" meaning "for enjoyment".
In the Didache we read "You, almighty Master, created all things for your name’s sake, and gave food and drink to men to enjoy."
Papias uses apolausis to describe "the enjoyment of foods in the (endtime) resurrection."
Josephus uses apolausis in this sentence "but that she might have the enjoyment of her husband's company without any danger" (Ant 2.52)
Clement (2Clement) uses apolausis in this sentence "This is the reason why a man is unable to find peace: they instill human apprehensions, preferring the pleasure of the present to the promise of the future."
Paul writes Timothy, commanding him to...
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. (1 Ti 6:17)