recommend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
recommends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recommended,
past participle, past
-
recommending
present participle
-
to present as worthy of confidence, acceptance, use, etc.; commend; mention favorably.
to recommend an applicant for a job; to recommend a book.
- Antonyms:
- condemn
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to represent or urge as advisable or expedient.
to recommend caution.
-
to advise, as an alternative; suggest (a choice, course of action, etc.) as appropriate, beneficial, or the like.
He recommended the blue-plate special. The doctor recommended special exercises for her.
- Synonyms:
- counsel
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to make desirable or attractive.
a plan that has very little to recommend it.
verb (used without object)
-
recommends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recommended,
past participle, past
-
recommending
present participle
noun
verb
-
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to advise as the best course or choice; counsel
to recommend prudence
-
to praise or commend
to recommend a new book
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to make attractive or advisable
the trip has little to recommend it
-
archaic to entrust (a person or thing) to someone else's care; commend
Usage
Spelling tips for recommend The word recommend is hard to spell because it is tricky to know whether the c, the m, and/or the n is doubled. How to spell recommend: The easiest way to remember how to spell recommend is to break it into three parts: re - com - mend. You can keep these three sections in mind with the sentence: "I recommend that you rely commonly on mending."
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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recommendernoun
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prerecommendverb (used with object)
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recommendableadjective
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unrecommendableadjective
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unrecommendedadjective
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well-recommendedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recommendsimple
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recommendssimple
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have recommendedperfect
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has recommendedperfect
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am recommendingprogressive
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are recommendingprogressive
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is recommendingprogressive
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have been recommendingperfect progressive
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has been recommendingperfect progressive
Past
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recommendedsimple
-
had recommendedperfect
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was recommendingprogressive
-
were recommendingprogressive
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had been recommendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recommend
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English recommenden, from Medieval Latin recommendāre; equivalent to re- + commend
Explanation
If you recommend a person or thing is to vouch for them. Recommend can also be to advise. If your doctor recommended an exercise program to you that's changed your life, you might recommend your doctor to your friends. Recommend is connected to the verb commend "to praise." They are both spelled with one c and two m's, reflecting the prefixes re- and com-. These verbs overlap in some uses: you can recommend or commend an applicant for employment. But commend is used for special or public praise: "He was commended for bravery."
Vocabulary lists containing recommend
"the insanity of selling junk food"
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Excerpt from "Bad Boy"
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Encourage
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
So while mFlusiva has the FDA’s blessing, Kennedy’s handpicked panel could still recommend that only a subset of Americans—say, people with compromised immune systems—get it.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
For parents looking to navigate high prices and brand pressure without blowing their budgets, shopping experts recommend a few practical steps:
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
But recently, an FDA committee voted to recommend that compounding pharmacies be allowed to manufacture six different peptides already widely available online: BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, epitalon, Semax and MOTS-c.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The new federal guidelines recommend limits on telehealth, safeguards to detect fraudulent billing, and state licensure for therapy providers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“I forgive you, Uncle. With my whole heart. As does my husband. When you apologize, however, you may begin healing yourself. It is not for us. It is for you. I recommend it.”
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Prasad cited the fact that Moderna tested its experimental vaccine for seniors measuring case counts against a standard-dose flu shot rather than Fluzone High-Dose, the version the FDA normally recommends for that age group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
She says shorts are "the trickiest item to get right in a professional environment" and recommends tailored, longer shorts paired with a crisp shirt or lightweight blazer for both men and women.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
In the kitchen, Gruel recommends rubbing it with avocado oil, salt and fresh herbs.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
NDR’s asset-allocation model recommends a 70% allocation to stocks, 20% to bonds and 10% to cash, which compares with benchmark weights of 55%, 35% and 10%, respectively.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Lighthouse International recommends 16 to 18 point font depending upon typefaces.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
"The members recommended Ervebo, the only licensed Ebola vaccine, be prioritised for inclusion in a randomised clinical trial in the context of the ongoing outbreak," a WHO statement said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Doctors and insurers face uncertainty over whether mFlusiva will be recommended only for specific people such as those who are immunocompromised.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
In a report, the cross-party committee recommended that only vets, pharmacists and other qualified professionals should be able to sell such treatments, with pet owners advised to take a precautionary approach to using them.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Most recently, he recommended “Stoner” by John Williams, “Dept. of Speculation” by Jenny Offill, and “Paradais” by Fernanda Melchor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
At the end of the year I was the one student in his class whom he recommended for placement in a rapid advancement class in junior high school.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
His videos don’t stop at recommending where to eat.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Similarly, in 2025, comedian John Mulaney also began recommending books on social media.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Although NDR’s longer-term growth-versus-value models now favor value by the widest margin in five years, the firm isn’t recommending investors rush into the trade.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, said on Friday that the platform would stop recommending "wholly AI-generated videos" in its popular Spotlight feed in favour of "authentic, human-made content."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
“That’s the consequence I’m recommending to the school board.”
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
