Ease

Ease denotes freedom from difficulty, hardship, or pain; it also describes a state of comfort or relaxation. As a verb, to ease means to relieve or to make something less difficult, burdensome, or painful.

In everyday language, ease appears in phrases such as “at ease” (relaxed), “ease of use” (usability), or “to put someone at ease” (to reassure). The concept is central to product design, accessibility, and service quality.

In engineering, ease describes the allowance for movement, including permissible tolerances and clearances that prevent binding. It helps determine how smoothly components fit and operate together, and it contrasts with “tight” or “loose” fits.

In psychology and behavioral science, cognitive ease or ease of processing is a measure of how easily information is processed, influencing memory, judgments, and decision making.

The term is also used in policy and economics to describe the easing of restrictions or tensions, such as monetary easing, trade liberalization, or the easing of sanctions.