Agency Dictionary
Ludic
adjectivePronunciation: /ˈluː.dɪk/
In Portuguese: Lúdico
Play & SportWhat does “Ludic” mean?
Of, relating to, or characterized by play, games, and lighthearted recreation.
Etymology
From French ludique, itself derived from Latin ludus (game, play, sport). The adjective entered English in the 20th century, used mainly in academic writing on culture, psychology, and aesthetics to describe activities or qualities associated with play and non-utilitarian engagement.
Synonyms
- playful
- recreational
- game-like
- sportive
Word family
- ludically
- ludus
- ludicrous
Usage examples
This scenario feels ludic, welcoming and inspiring because many different cultural symbols and references are put together in a nutritious mix where everyone signs up for the same reason: to have fun.
Concepts
- CarnivalizationCarnivalization is a cultural and literary concept describing the temporary inversion of social hierarchies, norms, and solemn authorities through joyful communal…
- Homo LudensHomo Ludens is a cultural concept identifying human beings fundamentally as players who construct civilization through games, ritual, and creative play. It posits that…
- Ludic WorldviewA ludic worldview is an existential perspective that approaches reality, challenges, and human interactions with playful detachment and creative lightness. It reframes…
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- Mazenoun
- A complex network of interconnected paths, passages, or obstacles designed to puzzle and challenge navigation.
- Athletenoun
- A person trained to compete in exercises, games, or sports requiring physical strength, speed, stamina, or agility. Athletes submit to rigorous discipline to achieve optimal somatic and tactical performance.
- Consolenoun
- A text-based command interface inside computer software where system operators and players enter manual code commands. In video games, opening the console allows users to modify internal variables and enter cheats.
- esportsnoun
- Organized, competitive video gaming played at professional levels before audiences both online and in stadiums.
- gamifiedadjective
- Modified by the addition of game elements, challenges, and reward structures to encourage participation.
- Ludusnoun
- A playful, flirtatious, and lighthearted form of love free from long-term obligations or solemnity.
- Mischievousadjective
- Showing a playful desire to cause trouble, teasing, or lighthearted harmless rebellion.
- Opponentnoun
- A rival person or team competing against another in a contest, sport, game, or debate. In ethical sportsmanship, opponents challenge each other to elevate shared standards of mastery.
- Paddlenoun
- A short, light oar with a flat blade at one or both ends, held with both hands to propel and steer a small watercraft.
- Refereenoun
- An official presiding over a sporting match or game who enforces the rules, makes binding disciplinary decisions, and maintains fair play. The referee ensures player safety and preserves competitive order.
- Simnoun
- A virtual human character or simulated autonomous agent controlled by a player inside a life simulation game. A Sim possesses unique personality traits, biological needs, aspirations, and interpersonal relationships.
Also from these editions: terms
- Stigmanoun
- A mark of social disgrace, shame, or prejudice associated with a particular circumstance, trait, or behavior.
- Crystallizeverb
- To take definite, structured, or concrete shape after an initial period of ambiguity or fluidity.
- Dialecticaladjective
- Relating to the logical discussion of ideas, opinions, or the dynamic interplay of opposing forces.
- Frivolousadjective
- Lacking any serious purpose or substantive value, characterized by triviality and superficiality.
- Heterogeneousadjective
- Composed of diverse, dissimilar elements, individuals, or cultural traditions joined together.
- Malandronoun
- A cunning, charming rogue or hustler in Brazilian culture who navigates life with wit, agility, and improvisational ease.
- Manuscriptnoun
- A book, document, or piece of music written or typed by hand rather than mass printed.
- Narcolepticadjective
- Relating to, affected by, or resembling a neurological condition characterized by sudden, involuntary bouts of deep sleep.
- Polymathnoun
- A person of broad and comprehensive knowledge who excels across multiple distinct intellectual disciplines.
- Subproletarianadjective
- Relating to or belonging to an impoverished social stratum positioned below the regular industrial working class.
- Synthesisnoun
- The combination of separate elements, ideas, or entities into a unified, coherent whole.
Also from these editions: concepts
- Ada LovelaceAda Lovelace was an English mathematician of the nineteenth century, known for her notes on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. The Agency editorial names her three…
- Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci was an Italian artist, engineer and scientist of the Renaissance, the painter of the Mona Lisa. The Agency editorial names him in three editions…
- Steve JobsSteve Jobs was an American businessman, co-founder of Apple. In the Agency editorial he is the credit of a phrase: Issue.15 quotes "Stay hungry, stay foolish" as…
- Hideo KojimaHideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer and director, known for the Metal Gear series and for Death Stranding. Issue.23 names him twice in one paragraph of the…
- Homo LudensHomo Ludens is a book written in 1938 by Johan Huizinga. In Issue.23, the edition says the term Homo Ludens was first coined in this work, which argues that play is a…
- Jack TorranceJack Torrance is the protagonist of The Shining, the novel by Stephen King that Stanley Kubrick filmed in 1980. In the Agency editorial he appears in Issue.23, which…
- Johan HuizingaJohan Huizinga was a Dutch historian, known for the books The Autumn of the Middle Ages and Homo Ludens. Issue.23 names him once, in the author's prose, as the writer of…
- Ruy BarbosaRuy Barbosa was a Brazilian jurist, politician, diplomat and writer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Issue.23 names him once, as Ruy Barbosa de…
- Stanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, known for films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining. Issue.23 names him once, in the author's prose: after…
- The ShiningThe Shining is a classic film directed by Stanley Kubrick. In Issue.23, the edition cites a line from its script to illustrate the idea that all work and no play makes…
- Thomas AquinasThomas Aquinas was a thirteenth-century Italian Dominican friar, theologian and philosopher, author of the Summa Theologica. Issue.23 names him once, as Saint Thomas…