a common name, used inside swinging communities, for swinging itself: the social and sexual world of couples and singles who play together with everyone's knowledge and consent. it is an insider term; someone outside the community is more likely to say "swinging." see swinging for the fuller picture.
The two words point at the same thing, but they carry a different feel. "Swinging" is the plain, outside-facing label; "the lifestyle" is how many people inside it refer to their own world, a quieter, slightly coded way to name a community rather than an act. Hearing someone call it the lifestyle is usually a sign they are speaking from inside it.
Like swinging, the lifestyle is a form of ethical non-monogamy: everyone involved knows and agrees. It is distinct from polyamory mainly in emphasis, centering shared play and often keeping the couple as the primary bond. See swinging for the full entry.
want to talk about The Lifestyle with people who live it?
definition contributed by Tessakin