In the most simplistic definition, nudism is a lifestyle of being nude. While nudity can be thought of as a single event, nudism is when someone practices nudity regularly and/or casually.

A common phrase used for those who confine their nudist practices within the walls of their own home is a “closet nudist”. But this phrase is problematic because there is no discrimination in the nudist community between those who engage in social nudism and those who keep it private. In fact, many social nudists start out as “closet nudists”. Furthermore, social nudism may be illegal or even dangerous for some people in some parts of the world to practice.